Biodiversity of Insects Parasitoid and Predator in Cassava Agroecosystem in Indonesia

Natural enemies are an important component of the agroecosystems, while studies on the diversity of natural enemies as pest control agents are also critical. This study aims to compare the biodiversity of parasitoids and predators in the cassava agroecosystem. The study was conducted using survey methods in three study areas: Bedoyo, Karangasem, and Kenteng villages, Gunungkidul district, Yogyakarta province, in Indonesia. Observation of natural enemies was conducted in three cassava cultivation sites for each study area. Samples of parasitoids and predators were collected using a sweep net and yellow pan traps. Results showed that the biodiversity of predators was higher than parasitoids in all the research locations. The community structure of insect parasitoid and predator also differed between research locations. The most abundant insect predator species found were ants (Anoplolepis gracilipes, Paratrechina longicornis and Nylanderia sp.) and coccinellid beetle Menochilus sexmaculatus. © 2023, Zoological Society, Kolkata, India.