Microhabitat Characteristics of Myopopone Castanea (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Oil Palm Plantation

Abstract

Ants are social insects which widespread and play many important roles in an ecosystem. Myopopone castanea ants are a predator for the pre-adult stage of pest Oryctes rhinoceros which is one of the important pests in oil palm plantations. At the oil palm plantations, M. castanea and pre-mature stadia from pests O. rhinoceros live on decaying palm oil stems. This study aimed to explore the presence and the microhabitat characteristics of M. castanea ant in oil palm plantation so that mass rearing of M. castanea ants can be carried out in the laboratory to support the natural enemy augmentation program in biological control of O. rhinoceros pest. The exploration of ant nests was carried out in two plantation locations: smallholder oil palm plantations in Tanah Merah sub-district, Binjai Selatan Subdistrict, Binjai and PTPN 2 and PTPN 4 in Deli Serdang and Serdang Bedagai districts, North Sumatra Province. The results showed that the colonies of M. castanea in both of plantations vary greatly in the size of the number and stage of the ant development stage. Average of abiotic factors in the microhabitat of M. castanea ants in PTPN plantation (t = 29.7 ⁰C, Rh = 70%, pH = 6.03 and C / N ratio = 66.18%), while for smallholder plantation (t = 29.1 ⁰C, Rh = 70.9%, pH = 6.39 and C / N ratio = 69.01%). A suitable abiotic environment will support life and mass rearing of M. castanea ant colonies.