Introductory to plant

protection
9th meeting

Insect Livelihoods and Its Role in

Agriculture

Dr. Ir. Mofit Eko Poerwanto, MP.

Mofit.eko@upnyk.ac.id
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The role of insects in agriculture
🞐 Beneficial insects
Pollinator: bees
Honey producer: honey bee
Producer of silk: silkworms
Natural enemies of pests: parasitoids &
predators

🞐 Harmful insects / Pests

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Factors that influence the development
of pests
1. Internal Factor

a. Reproduction ability
The length of the life cycle from egg to adulthood affects the
rate of reproduction. The shorter the life cycle the faster
the breed. The ability of an insect to produce a large
number of eggs will also increase the ability to reproduce.
Example:
The rice stem borer moth (Tryporyza inotata) can produce a
maximum of 420 eggs.
Sitophilus oryzae rice beetle can produce a maximum of 575
eggs.

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b. Sex ratio (male : female)
If the number of female is more than male, it is
expected that this will result in a larger
population of subsequent offspring

Example:
The ratio of male: female coconut aphids
(Aspidiatus destructor rigidus) is 1: 3 when there
is enough food, if the food is lacking 90% of the
population is male so that the next population
falls.

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c. Self-defense

Example: Spodoptera litura eggs are

covered with fine hairs to protect against
parasitoid attack.

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d. Life cycle
The life cycle is a series of various stages during the
growth of an insect from egg to adult.
Simple metamorphosis: egg-nymph-adult
Complete metamorphosis: egg-larva-pupa-adult

Example:
Nilaparvata lugens (brown planthopper): 21-28
days
Oryctes rhinoceros (rhinoceros beetle): 100 days

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e. The life span of the female insect.
If the female insect can live a long time, the
opportunity to lay eggs is longer.

Example:
Nilaparvata lugens (brown planthopper): 10
days
Tryporyza inotata moth: 4-14 days
Sitophilus oryzae beetle: 3-5 months
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2. External factors

a. Physical factors
Optimum temperature: 25-30 ° C. The higher the
temperature the life cycle is shorter.
Optimum humidity: 70-90%. The higher the
humidity, the shorter the life cycle. Stored pests
can live at low material moisture content, for
example above 14%

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• Light
There are insects that are active at night (S. litura
armyworms) and some are active during the day
(brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens).
Many insects are attracted to light, for example the
moth Tryporyza inotata

• Wind
The wind can help the insects spread from one
place to another.
Example: brown planthopper migration from China
to Korea and Japan
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b. Food factor
The quality and quantity of food can affect
sex ratios and length of life.

Example:
Lasioderma serricorne (tobacco beetle) is
34-39 days old when fed peanut meal and
can live 42-63 days when fed tobacco.

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c. Biological factors

Natural enemies (parasitoids, predators and insect

pathogens) can suppress pest development.

Intraspecific competition (between the same

species) and interspecific competition (between
different species) for food sources and habitat will
affect the growth of pest populations.

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Causes of Pest Outbreak
1. Monoculture planting
Planting one type of plant in a large area causes
low agroecosystem diversity and gives the pest
population an opportunity to increase.

2. Planting continuously
If one type of plant is planted continuously, it will
provide food for pests throughout the year, so
that the pest population increases.

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3. Excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers
Nitrogen fertilizers will make the plants succulent
and preferable to pests

4. The introduction of new types of plants and pests

Pests can reproduce because there are no natural
enemies

Example: Lamtoro gung and fleas Heteropsylla sp.

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5. Use of pesticides unwise

Broad-spectrum pesticides will not only kill pests

but also kill natural enemies, so that in the long
run the pest population becomes uncontrolled.

The use of one type of pesticide continuously will

also cause resistance to pests against these
pesticides.

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Pest Monitoring
🞐 Objective:
Obtain data about the state of pests and
environmental factors that influence them, to
compile a pest control program

🞐 Observed data
1. Types and density of pest populations
2. The intensity and extent of the attack
3. Type and age of plants
4. Natural enemies

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Summary
🞐 Some insects are beneficial and some are harmful
🞐 Pest development is influenced by internal factors
(ability to reproduce, sex ratio, self-defense, life cycle,
length of life) and external factors (physical, food &
biological)
🞐 Pest outbreaks are caused by monoculture cropping,
continuous cultivation, excessive use of N fertilizers,
introduction of new plants and pests, improper use of
pesticides.
🞐 Pest observations are carried out to determine the
dynamics of pest populations and to plan pest control
programs.

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