Diversity of arthropods and vertebrates in the Carambola ecosystem and their role in integrated pest management
1999
S. Vijaysegaran
A study was conducted to determine the types of organisms besides the major pests, that also inhabit carambola orchards. Based on Malaise trap catches, sweep net collections, rearing from infested fruits, flowers and leaves of carambola for arthropods, as well as observing and trapping for vertebrates, a very large number of organisms were recorded within carambola orchards. These include over 200 species of insects, several species of spiders, centipedes and millipedes, and over 20 species of vertebrates half of which were birds. Of the 67 species of insects feeding on various parts of the carambola plant, only 8 were pests, and 7 of these infested the fruits. Eighteen species of Lepidoptera were recorded feeding on the flowers, but only one, Diachrostricha fasciola, was a serious pest. Thirty species of Lepidoptera were recorded feeding on the leaves but none were noticed and regarded as pests by growers. Fruits were mainly damaged by 2 species of Lepidopteran borers and 2 species of Bactrocera fruit flies. Over 35 species of insects were recorded visiting the flowers, but the main pollinators were the Hymenopterans Trigona spp. (14 species) , Apis cerana and A. dorsata. A survey of pest control practices in the industry revealed that growers used a wide range of organophosphorus and synthetic pyrethroid insecticides. The major problems reported with cover spraying of insecticides is thekilling of pollinators, resurgence of scale insects in severely sprayed farms, and poor safety precautions observed by workers and growers. The impact of regular pesticide applications on the range of organisms found within carambola orchards is discussed.
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