AUTHOR(S)
P. Aswathi, M. C. Jobi and Sabu K. Thomas*

ABSTRACT

Seasonal massinvasion of a litter-dwelling detritivorous beetle, Luprops tristis (Fabricius)(Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) into residential buildings prior to the onset ofsouth west monsoon showers and subsequent aggregation in prolonged state ofdormancy render them a very serious nuisance pest in rubber plantation tracts inthe Western Ghats. Despite their widespread presence as a nuisance pest withastonishing abundance, no efficient strategies for controlling the populationbuild up of L. tristis have been developed and its presence in residentialbuildings during the rainy season and in the bottom layers of rubber litterduring post rainy season makes insecticide based control a tough task.Predatory efficiency of weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina, Fabricius)on L. tristis were tested in both lab and field conditions. Active predationof the weaver ants on the beetle L. tristis during both nocturnal anddiurnal conditions and the non-deterrence by the gland secretions indicatesthat weaver ants is an efficient natural predator of L. tristis, and hasthe potential to be used as an effective biocontrol agent to regulate thepopulation build up of L. tristis. However, the lack of host plants of weaverants in the monoculture rubber plantations and the negative attitude ofstakeholders in view of their aggressiveness may hinder the introduction ofweaver ants as an effective predator of L. tristis in rubber plantations.

DOI
https://doi.org/10.57182/jbiopestic.5.0.177-179

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