biodiversity of insects associated with sugarcane crop in faisalabad

Pak. Entomol. Vol. 26, No.1, 2004
BIODIVERSITY OF INSECTS ASSOCIATED WITH
SUGARCANE CROP IN FAISALABAD
Adnan Ahmed, Anjum Suhail, Zain-ul-Abdin, Sohaib Iftikhar and Kashif Zahoor
Department of Agri. Entomology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad
ABSTRACT
Studies were carried out in three localities (Shahbaz pur, Agriculture University
Faisalabad and Makkuana) on the farmers’ fields. Data were collected on fortnightly basis by
using hand net, light traps, malaise traps and pit fall traps and were analyzed statistically,
using Shannon-Weiner index of diversity. Species richness provides an extremely useful
measurement of diversity when a complete catalogue of species in the community is
obtained. A total of 11720 specimens belonging to different insect orders were captured in
three localities. About 117 species associated with sugarcane were identified. The diversity.,
maximum diversity, species richness and species evenness in three localities were 1.55, 2.0,
0.22 & 0.77 and 1.66, 2.0, 0.17 & 0.83 and 1.75, 2.0, 0.13 & 0.87, respectively.
INTRODUCTION
Species richness provides an extremely useful
measurement of diversity where a complete
catalogue of species in the community is obtained
(Magurran, 1988).
Biodiversity entails all form of biological
entities inhabiting the Earth-including prokaryotes
and eukaryotes, wild plants & animals and
cultivated plants and even genetic material like
seeds and germplasm (Kothari, 1992)
Insects have great potential for understanding
ecosystem as measures of ecosystem health, but the
incompleteness of knowledge and the limitation of
resources increase the difficulty of work on insect
biodiversity. The formal treatment of biodiversity
and its measures is complex. Despite considerable
interest in this subject, the use and application of
measurement indices is heterogeneous (Williamson,
1995)
About 103 insects species associated with
sugarcane comprising of Coleopteran (31 spp),
Dictyoptera (2spp), Diptera (5spp), Hemiptera
(12spp), Homoptera (18spp), Hymenoptera (7spp),
Isoptera (3spp), Lepidoptera (13spp), Orthoptera (9
spp) and one species of each of Thysanoptera,
Neuroptera and Trichoptera (Kumarasinghe, 1999).
Sugar cane is a highly important cash crop and
sugar production in the country mostly depends on
this crop. It shares in value added in Agri and GDP
are 6.2% and 1.5% respectively (Annonymous,
2003).
The number of eggs, nymphs and adults of
Pyrilla perpusilla were high in July, August and
October (Fernando and Ganehiarachchi, 2000).
Pest activity of pest (Root borer) was observed
from January to December, and the population peak
during the second fortnight of September (Pandya
and Patels, 1998).
The activity of the pest (Top borer) was found
spread over the months of January to December
with a peak population level in the second fortnight
of May (Pandya and Patels, 1998).
Intensive studies on the population dynamics of
the scarab pests have sought to understand the cause
of outbreaks (Robertson, 1999).
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Pak. Entomol. Vol. 26, No.1, 2004
Previously no work has been done on the
biodiversity of insects associated with sugarcane
crop in Faisalabad. So, it is the need of the time to
estimate to what extent man’s exploitation of natural
resources has imparted adverse impact on the
biodiversity of insects. The present research was
conducted to estimate the biodiversity of insects
associated with sugarcane crop in Faisalabad.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Three localities were selected for the study of
biodiversity of insects associated with sugarcane
crop in Faisalabad. These localities were Shahbaz
pur, Makkuana, University of Agriculture.
Collection was done on the farmers fields.
Collection was made randomly by netting, hand
picking, pitfall traps, malaise and light traps (one
light trap in each locality). Pitfall traps were set
diagonally in middle and sides of the field after
every 10 foot steps in every acre which were
selected randomly. Pitfall traps were “dustbins” of 6
inch diameter and 10 inch height, buried in the soil.
Each trap was laid in such a way that the tips of the
trap was flush with the surface of the ground. A
plastic lid was suspended approximately 4 cm above
the ground level to protect against inundation during
the period of heavy rainfall and evaporation in direct
sunlight (Klein, 1989). 10 per cent formaline
solution was used in these pitfall traps. A total of 15
for each census in crop area were left up to 24 hr.
Sampling was done for 2 consecutive days in
each fortnight and total population per month was
counted. The specimens for each and every
collection day were treated separately and were put
into vials for biodiversity count.
Identification of insect’s species
The collected specimens were stored in vials
containing formaline solution and identified to
species level. The identification of specimens was
done in “Insect Biodiversity and Biosystematics
Research Lab.” Department of Agri.Entomology,
University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (Pakistan),
with the help of related taxonomic material. Some
of the specimens were identified by comparing
specimens against collection in Museum of CABI
Regional Biosciences Centre, Daata Gunj Bukhsh
Road, Rawalpindi.
Diversity Index
The biodiversity count was made to estimate
species richness, species evenness and species
diversity (Kikkawa, 1996) by using Shannon
diversity index (Shannon, 1948) as follows.
H =
OR
∑
nlogn −
H′
=
n
H′
max = logk
H′
J′
=
H′
max
D = 1−
J′
(pi − In(pi))
k
∑
i
filog fi
H is the diversity; pi is the population of ith
species in crop area. H’ is the diversity index of
total number of collected specimens, fi is the
proportion of ith species, H’max is the maximum
diversity, K is the total number of species in the
entire crop area j’ is the evenness and D represents
dominance of species
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The research studies were conducted during
March to August in 2004. A total of 11720
specimens belonging to different insects orders were
captured representing 117 species. Diversity,
species richness, species evenness were calculated
by Shannon-Weiner diversity index. The evenness
value showed that the whole of the crop area was
evenly distributed with only the dominance of few
species of different orders namely Homoptera with
highest population of sugarcane plant hopper
(Pyrilla perpusilla, Otinotus oneratus, Perkincsiella
sp, Alerolobus barodenesis). Lepidoptera
(Svripophaga nivella, Chilo infuscatellus,
Emmalocera depressella, Acherontia atropos).
Orthoptera (Atractomorpha acutipennis,
Coenagrion puella, Gryllus bimaculatus,
Trigonidium cicindeloides, Chrotogonus
trachypterous, Oxya intricata, Euconocephalus
incertus, Hedotettix gracilis, Chlaenius quadricolor,
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Pak. Entomol. Vol. 26, No.1, 2004
Orthrophagus atroplitus, Coleoptera (Calosoma
maderae, Craspendophorus elegans, Orthrophagus
atroplitus, Scrabaeus brahminus, Heteroderes lenis,
Aspidomorpha miliaris, Aulocophora foveicolis),
Hymenoptera (Vespa orientalus, Rhyssa
persuasoria, Formica Spp., Monomorium
minimum.
Table 1: Result of Shannon-Weiner
diversity index.
Biodiversity
Components
Shahbaz
pur
Makkuana Agriculture
University
Diversity (H) 1.55 1.66 1.75
Max. Diversity 2.0 2.0 2.0
Evenness (J’) 0.22 0.17 0.13
Richness 0.77 0.83 0.87
The value of Diversity (1.66) was maximum in
Makkuana and minimum (1.55) in Shahbaz pur.
Maximum Diversity (2.0) was same in all three
localities. Evenness was maximum (0.22) in
Shahbaz pur and minimum (0.13) in Agriculture
University. Richness was maximum (0.87) in
Agriculture University and minimum (0.77) in
Shahbaz pur.
The temperature was recorded maximum (42.5
o C) in the month of July and minimum (38.4 o C) in
the month of March. Relative humidity was
recorded maximum (66 %) in August and minimum
(27%) in May. Maximum rain fall (130 mm) was
recorded in the month of July and minimum (4.6
mm) in the month of June.
Homoptera (2170), Hemiptera (939),
Lepidoptera (2140), Coleoptera (1254), Isoptera
(1248) and Orthoptera(1053) were in abundance in
sugarcane fields during the collection periods
followed by Neuropteran (318), Diptera (1132),
Odonata (324) and Hymenoptera (884). The
maximum insect population was observed in the
months of July and August because there was
maximum relative humidity (64% & 66%
respectively) and rainfall (130 mm and 60.7 mm,
respectively) in July and August.
Table 2:
Months
Meterological data for six months.
Temperature
(C o ) Avg.
Max.
Min.
Relative
Humidity
(%) Avg.
Rainfall
(mm)
March 38.4 24.7 31 19.0
April 38.6 24.9 30 16.0
May 40.2 26.4 27 16.4
June 42.5 29.7 44 4.6
July 39.8 28.6 64 130
August 39.4 28.1 66 60.7
The population of sugarcane leaf hopper
increased from March to April and the curve was
diminishing uptill June showing that there was a
marked decrease in population in the month of June
at high temperature (42.5 o C) and low relative
humidity (44%). Similarly the population of
sugarcane stem borer, sugarcane top borer,
sugarcane root borer and sugarcane black bug
increased from March to April and there was a
marked decrease in population of these pests in the
month of June at high temperature (42.5 o C) and less
relative humidity (44%). But the population of
sugarcane whitefly did not show a marked increase
in the months of July and August due to high
relative humidity (66%). The population of whitefly
showed a little increase in the month of May
because of low relative humidity (27%).
The ETL of Pyrilla perpusilla is 2 adults or
nymphs per leaf and the observed (5 per leaf)
population which was much higher than the
predetermined ETL. So, Pyrilla perpusilla is the
potential pest during collection period and
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Pak. Entomol. Vol. 26, No.1, 2004
maximum population during July-August. The
predetermined ETL of borers is 10% attacked
plants, the observed damaged plants were also 10%
during the collection period (April & May and July
& August), maximum damage was during the
months of July & August.
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Collembola
Odonata
Orthoptera
Dermapter
a
Neutoptera
Isoptera
Hemiptera
Homoptera
Coleoptera
Lepidopter
a
Hymenopte
ra
Diptera
CONCLUSION
• March & April and July & August are the four
critical months for the sugarcane crop.
• All three types of borers (top borer, stem borer,
root borer) are potential pests as their ETL are
in accordance with the predetermined ETL.
Also the ETL of sugarcane plant hopper (Pyrilla
perpusilla) was higher than the predetermined
ETL. So Pyrilla is also a potential pest of
sugarcane crop.
• Control strategies should be applied on the 1 st
fortnight of March and last fortnight of April.
Series1
Insect Numbers
Fig 1: Insect fauna of sugarcane in
Faisalabad
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
March
April
May
June
Months
July
August
Series1
Fig. 2: Insect population in different Months
Population size
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Pest population in different Months
March
April
May
June
July
August
Months
top borer
stem borer
root borer
leaf hopper
Fig.3: Pest population in different Months
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