Infestation of parasitic wasps from nettle caterpillar Ploneta diducta Snellen (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae) in oil palm plantation

Abstract

AbstractThe nettle caterpillarPloneta diducta(Lepidoptera: Limocodidae) is the leaf-eating caterpillar of oil palm that emerged in Central Kalimantan. The identification of hymenopteran parasitic wasps as natural enemy will help the planters to take action to conserve agronomy practices. The census ofP. diductawas carried out in PT Windu Nabatindo Abadi Central Kalimantan starting in January until August 2022. The population ofP. diductawas found only in three blocks (±100 ha), with a total population is 52 larvae. Of the total population, 92% is unparasitized larvae and 8% is parasitized larvae.P. diductalarvae found are reared in the insectary and observed the emergence of parasitic wasps. There were three species of parasitic wasps that infectedP. diducta, namelyApantelessp. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae),Goryphussp. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) andXanthopimplasp. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Parasitic waspApantelessp. was a gregarious parasitoid and both speciesGoryphussp. andXanthopimplasp. were solitary. From these wasps, the highest infestation byXanthopimplasp. (9.6% parasitism rate) followed byGoryphussp. (3.8% parasitism rate) andApantelessp. (1.9% parasitism rate). Conservation of this insect by intensification of flowering plants can drive the wasp population and its function in oil palm plantations.