Managing sustainable agroecosystem: Study on diversity of parasitic Hymenoptera on riparian sites of oil palm and rubber plantation

Abstract

Parasitic Hymenoptera is important natural enemies to control pest population but threatened by habitat transformation. It is important to know the sustainable management agroecosystem that may conserve beneficial insects. There is still minimum research about the effect of riparian buffers effect on Hymenoptera diversity. The objectives of this research were to study parasitic Hymenoptera species richness and abundance in oil palm and rubber plantation, investigate the effect of riparian sites on diversity and species composition across the different habitat. The research was conducted in Jambi Province, Sumatra, Indonesia which consists of two different agroecosystems, oil palm, and rubber plantation. Parasitic Hymenoptera was collected by direct sampling using insect nets and traps using a yellow pan and malaise traps. Parasitic Hymenoptera species richness was different among oil palm and rubber plantation. Oil palm had higher species richness than rubber plantation. Riparian buffers sites, either oil palm or rubber plantation, had higher numbers of parasitic Hymenoptera species richness and abundance than upland dry sites. These results are related to the high number of wild flowering plants species richness in riparian buffers sites. Community structure between riparian and dry agroecosystem was not different. The same agroecosystem provided the same feeding source and host for parasitoid. Therefore, managing sustainable agroecosystem should consider the presence of wild flowering plants that may preserve parasitic Hymenoptera diversity in providing natural enemy services in an agroecosystem.