Download Odontoponera denticulata

ISSN 1411 – 0067 Jurnal Ilmu-Ilmu Pertanian Indonesia. Edisi Khusus, No. 3 2007, Hlm. 351 - 356
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Odontoponera denticulata [Hymenoptera:Formicidae]: A POTENTIAL
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENT FOR TRUE FRUIT FLIES
[Diptera:Tephritidae] IN YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA
Odontoponera denticulata [Hymenoptera:Formicidae] SEBAGAI AGENSIA
PENGENDALI HAYATI LALAT BUAH [Diptera:Tephritidae] DI
YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA
Suputa1, Seiki Yamane2, Edhi Martono1, Zamir Hossain3, and Ahmad Taufiq Arminudin1
1
Department of Plant Pests and Diseases, Faculty of Agriculture, Gadjah Mada University,
Yogyakarta, Indonesia, [email protected]
2
University of Kagoshima, Kyushu, Japan
3
University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC 1797, NSW, Australia
ABSTRACT
The number of active nest entrances under canopy, foraging distance, and the number of attacked true fruit flies
larvae, predation ability, and the behavior of Odontoponera denticulata were observed in Yogyakarta, central
part of Java. There are five dominant species of fruit trees grown in the home yards on Yogyakarta; mango
(Mangifera indica), carambola (Averrhoa carambola), rose-apple (Syzygium aqueum), guava (Psidium guajava),
rambutans (Nephelium lappaceum) and nut gnetum (Gnetum gnemon). We observed 100 sites at home yards
randomly distributed in Yogyakarta city. The quantitative data were obtained by direct observation and the
qualitative data e.g. the ants’ behavior were obtained using digital photography and video camera techniques.
The results show that the average number of active nest entrances under canopy was 9.36 + 1.59, foraging
distance from the nest entrance was 113.34 + 57.98 (cm), number of attacked fruit fly larvae was 4.47 + 2.36, and
predation ability (%) was 30.02 + 13.88. The ants attack active larvae only from fallen fruits; some ants did not
attack nor notice the motionless larvae even as the ants stepped over the larvae, except when they already had
experience in attacking larvae before. These conditions reveal that O. denticulata is more effective in attacking
fruit fly larvae when they have former experience such as learning and memories and the existence of O. denticulata
as a potential predator to reduce true fruit fly population at the home yards in Yogyakarta.
Key words: behavior, Odontoponera denticulata, predation, true fruit flies, Yogyakarta
ABSTRAK
Pengamatan semut Odontoponera denticulata yang meliputi jumlah lubang sarang di bawah kanopi yang masih
aktif, jarak jelajah pencarian pakan, kemampuan memangsa dan jumlah larva lalat buah yang diserang serta
perilaku semut O. denticulata dilakukan di Yogyakarta. Ada lima spesies tumbuhan berbuah yang ditanam pada
pekarangan rumah di Yogyakarta, yaitu: mangga (Mangifera indica), belimbing (Averrhoa carambola), jambu
air (Syzygium aqueum), jambu biji (Psidium guajava), rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) dan melinjo (Gnetum
gnemon). Pengamatan dilakukan secara acak pada 100 pekarangan di kota Yogyakarta. Data kuantitatif diamati
secara visual dan data kualitatif seperti perilaku semut diamati dengan menggunakan teknik kamera video dan
kamera foto digital. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa rata-rata jumlah lubang sarang di bawah kanopi yang
masih aktif adalah 9.36 + 1.59, jarak jelajah pencarian pakan dari lubang sarang adalah 113.34 + 57.98 (cm), jumlah
larva lalat buah yang diserang adalah 4.47 + 2.36, dan kemampuan memangsa adalah 30.02 + 13.88 (%). Semut O.
denticulata hanya memangsa larva lalat buah yang aktif pada buah jatuh; beberapa semut tidak menyerang
larva lalat buah yang tidak bergerak bahkan ketika semut tersebut telah menginjaknya kecuali jika semut-semut
tersebut telah mempunyai pengalaman menyerang larva lalat buah sebelumnya. Fenomena perilaku semut ini
menggambarkan bahwa O. denticulata akan lebih efektif memangsa larva lalat buah ketika semut-semut tersebut
mempunyai pengalaman memangsa larva lalat buah sebelumnya seperti pada proses pengingatan dan
pembelajaran dan keberadaan O. denticulata di Yogyakarta terbukti sebagai predator potensial dalam menurunkan
populasi lalat buah pada pekarangan di Yogyakarta.
Kata kunci: perilaku, Odontoponera denticulata, kemampuan memangsa, lalat buah, Yogyakarta
Suputa et al.,
INTRODUCTION
Yogyakarta is located in the central part of
Java and lies within the tropics (latitude: 7° 48'
South; longitude: 110° 30' East),. There are many
species of fruit trees grown in the home yards
such as mango (Mangifera indica), carambola
(Averrhoa carambola), rose-apple (Syzygium
aqueum), guava (Psidium guajava), rambutan
(Nephelium lappaceum), jackfruit (Artocarpus
heterophylus), mahkota-dewa (Phaleria
macrocarpa), soursop (Annona muricata),
srikaya (Annona squamosa), breadfruit
(Artocarpus altilis), noni (Morinda citrifolia),
citrus (Citrus sinensis), banana (Musa x
paradisiaca), papaya (Carica papaya), sapodilla
(Achras zapota), avocado (Persea americana),
cashew (Anacardium occidentale), matoa
(Pometia pinnata), grapes (Vitis vinifera) and
gnetum (Gnetum gnemon). Many fruits cannot
be harvested because of fruit fly infestation. The
most economically important true fruit fly
[Diptera: Tephritidae] species in Yogyakarta
belong to the genus Bactrocera spp. (Santianawati
et al. 1995).
Insecticidal cover sprays have traditionally
been used to control fruit flies not only at the
plantation but also at the home yard in Yogyakarta.
However, there are several disadvantages of
insecticide cover sprays such as high cost,
difficulty in applying insecticide on dense
plantations, negative impact on insect natural
enemies and also the possibility of harmful residues
on fruits (Allwood, 1996; Putra, 2001).
Comparatively, biological control techniques are
economical and environmentally friendly (Wilson
and Huffaker, 1976). Most ants are predators;
which may play important roles in tropical
ecosystems which is a vital prerequisite for a
biological control agent (Ogata, 1992). Fruit fly
larvae are attacked by honey ants (genus
Myrmecocystus) in Mexico (larvae of
Anastrepha ludens; Thomas, 1995) and by
Pheidole megacephala in Hawaii (larvae of
Bactrocera dorsalis; Morgan, 1995).
Information about the natural enemies of true
fruit flies in Yogyakarta is not available (if it is
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please cite and mention here). Moreover, the role
of Odontoponera denticulata in fruit fly
predation has never been studied. A preliminary
study had found that the O. denticulata population
in Yogyakarta was very high and can be found in
almost every home yard (Suputa et al., 2005).
The aim of this study was to determine the
potential of O. denticulata as a predator of true
fruit flies. The study examined their predation
ability, their behavior including the number of active
nest entrances under the tree canopy, the foraging
pattern and the distance they travel to take true
fruit fly larvae as a prey.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study was carried out from June 2005
to November 2005. We observed Odontoponera
denticulata systematically on the soil surface
under fruits tree growing in the home yards in
Yogyakarta on one hundred sites and collected
ant individuals at each location manually using
tweezers as voucher specimens. Collected
specimens, initially kept in small vials filled with
80% ethanol, were taken to the Laboratory of the
Basic Entomology to be dry-mounted on points
and labelled following the procedure of Hashimoto
and Rahman (2003). The voucher specimens are
kept in the insect collection at the Insect Museum
at the Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of
Agriculture, Gadjah Mada University located in
Yogyakarta.
Direct behavioral observations were
conducted randomly around mature fallen fruits
on the ground under the host plants. We recorded
the kind of fruit crop at every site and then
captured 100 samples of ant and marked them on
their notum using a greenish yellow paint marker
(Yoka Paint Marker KP7-01) to identify
individuals.
We counted the number of attacked fruit fly
larvae, the numbers of remaining larvae in the
fallen rotten fruits, and the number of active
entrances at every site. Ants foraging varies in
pattern (Figure 1 and 2). When the ants foraged
and did not find any kind of prey/food, they walked
around in curved line and sometimes in circular
Odontoponera denticulata
patterns, since they left the nest until their return.
We chose these patterns to measure the distance
of ants foraging. We furthermore measured the
foraging distance of ants under condition without
prey or any other kind of food since this might
reflect the natural foraging distance.
We recorded ant activities with digital
photography and video camera techniques to
observe the foraging behavior of ants before and
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after taking a fruit fly larva, ant preferences on
true fruit flies larvae, and the foraging pattern of
O. denticulata. The recorded pictures were then
transferred into hand drawings to illustrate the
foraging pattern of O. denticulata. No insecticidal
control of true fruit flies was done in the sampled
area, thus the results should reflect the natural
status of O. denticulata as a predator of fruit fly
larvae.
Figure 1. Foraging pattern O. denticulata: a) when the ants did not get a prey; b) when the ants got
a prey
Figure 2. Foraging pattern O. denticulata, when the ants got a prey via difference active nest entrance: a) got a prey on first time; b) got a prey on second time and more
Suputa et al.,
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This research observed on 100 sites of the
home yard gardens habitat in Yogyakarta
(Appendix Figure 1) and collected 100 specimens
of Odontoponera spp. Kalshoven (1981)
reported the more common O. transversa lives
in the soil near houses in the middle area of Java
including Yogyakarta. The identification showed
that all collected specimens of the ants genus
Odontoponera belonged to O. denticulata. We
presume that O. transversa mentioned in the
study by Kalshoven (1981) might be O.
denticulata, since their morphological characters
resemble those of O. denticulata. According to
Bolton (1994) only one species in the genus
Odontoponera is recognized and this view is widely
accepted. Seiki Yamane (personal communication,
October 11, 2005), however, identified two sibling
species in this genus; i.e. O. transversa and O.
denticulata.
The O. denticulata population in Yogyakarta
was very high and abundant with 9.36 + 1.59 active
nest entrances in average (Suputa et al., 2005),
the ants exist on every observation site in the home
yard. There are also some other frequently
encountered species in home yards but none of
them as abundant as O. denticulata. They are
Pheidole blutschlii, Oecophylla smaragdina,
Solenopsis
geminata,
Diacamma
pallidum,Odontomachus similis, Crematogaster
sp., Polyrhachis bicolor, P. dives, Philidris sp.,
Monomorium sp., and Dolichoderus sp.
For additional information, we also identified
the species of true fruit fly existed at the home
yards habitat in Yogyakarta. We found Bactrocera
carambolae, B. papayae, B. albistrigata, and
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B. mcgregori. The most abundant species in 100
sites is B. carambolae i.e. 60% and then B.
papayae i.e. 25% while B. albistrigata and B.
mcgregori respectively 10% and 5%. Drew and
Hancock (1994) and Siwi et al. (2006) reported
that these true fruit flies are serious pest in
Indonesia and there was no appropriate method
to control these pests accurately yet.
O. denticulata may function as a potential
true fruit flies predator as the population of O.
denticulata at the home yards in Yogyakarta is
very high and abundant (Suputa et al., 2005).
Eguchi et al. (2004) state that O. denticulata
colony was frequently found in Indo-chinese
Lowland Vegetation. In the Bogor Botanical
Garden, the population of O. denticulata is higher
than O. transversa (Ito et al., 2001). The average
number of active nest entrance under canopy was
7.77 – 10.95 average is one number in this case
9.36 nest entrances with a minimum of 5 nest
entrances and a maximum of 12 nest entrances
(Table 1). More nest entrances reflect more
chance of true fruit fly larvae to be caught by the
ant. The potential of O. denticulate as predator
was not only shown by the number of active nest
entrance under canopy, but also by foraging
distance, number of attacking larvae, and predation
ability.
The average foraging distance of O.
denticulata was 113.34 + 57.98 cm with a
minimum of in 40 cm and maximum of 350 cm
(Table 1). Eguchi et al. (2004) show that the
furthest foraging of O. denticulata in the
subtropical lowland vegetation was 116 cm. On
the other hand, when the ants find prey/food, they
walked straight from the target back to the nest
entrance.
Table 1. Number of Active Nest Entrances under Canopy (25 m2), Foraging Distance, Number of Attacked
Larvae, and Predation Ability of Odontoponera denticulata in Yogyakarta home yards
Variable
Number of sample Average
Min - Max
Number of active nest entrance under canopy (25 m2) 100 sites
9.36 + 1.59
5 – 12
Foraging distance (cm)
100 ants
113.34 + 57.98 40 – 350
Number of attacked larvae
100 fruits
4.47 + 2.36
1 - 10
Predation ability (%)
100 fruits
30.02 + 13.88
6.66 - 90
Odontoponera denticulata
In observing feeding behavior, the first time
forager, O. denticulata, showed more interest in
mobile than static larvae. Some forager ants did
not attack nor notice the motionless larvae even
while the ants step over the larvae. As the second
time forager, O. denticulata is more aggressive
to catch both mobile or and static larvae, after
they have already acquired experience in attacking
larvae before. These phenomena indicate that
former experience such as learning and memories
are important for O. denticulata as a true fruit
fly predator. This is not unlikely since other social
insect use learning and memories during foraging,
e.g. bees (Menzel et al., 1991). The average
number of attacked larvae was 4.47 + 2.36 larvae
with a minimum of 1 larva and maximum of 10
larvae. The average of O. denticulata predation
ability was 30.02 + 13.88% with a minimum of
6.66% and a maximum of 90%. O. denticulata
as predators exhibited high population in the home
yards, and there was no host plant preferences
shown by the ants in attacking prey larvae on
different plant species.
CONCLUSIONS
Generally the predation ability of O.
denticulata belongs to low to medium level.
Former experiences such as learning and memories
are important in O. denticulata as a true fruit fly
predator. The right methods must be found to
establish synergistic association and to maximize
the role of O. denticulata as a predator in
controlling true fruit flies population in Yogyakarta.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors are gratefully acknowlege Dr.
Joachim Offenberg [University of AArhus,
Denmark], Dr. Steve Shattuck [CSIRO, Australia],
Dr. Ian Naumann [DAFF, Australia], Prof. Datin
Dr. Maryati Mohamed and Dr. Bakhtiar Effendi
Yahya [Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia], Dr.
Katsuyuki EGUCHI [Kagoshima University], Dr.
Yoshiaki HASHIMOTO [Hyogo Prefectural
University], Dr. Nugroho Susetya Putra [Gadjah
Mada University, Indonesia], and Fuminori ITO
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[Kagawa University] for they motivated us to do
this study and also provided us with research
consultation. Independent research was program
of Basic Entomology Laboratory [Department of
Plant Pests and Diseases, Faculty of Agriculture,
Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta-Indonesia].
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