Preferensi Pakan Imago Aulacophora indica (Gmelin) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) terhadap Empat Jenis Tanaman Cucurbitaceae.

Abstract

Aulacophora indica (Gmelin) is an important beetle attacking on Cucurbitaceae plants. Damage to plants is strongly influenced by the food selection and consumption patterns on leaves. This study aims to examine the feeding preferences of adult A. indica on four types of Cucurbitaceae host plants, namely cucumber (Cucumis sativus), pariah (Momordica charantia), squash (Luffa acutangula), and chayote (Sechium edule); to observe beetles grouping on four types of plants above; to evaluate the behavior of feeding, the concumption capability on preferred food, and the perching behavior during feeding; to count the time and duration of beetles copulation, the timing of oviposition and the number of eggs laid. The food treatments were given to paired adults, separate females, and males beetles in situ. The areal leaf damage was measured everyday. The preference test was conducted for 5 days, while the feeding behavior was observed until 7 weeks after treatments. Results of this experiment showed that the beetles chose a cucumber as a host plant. Area of cucumber leaf consumption by the beetles was 1608.00 mm2 and 2732.40 mm2 inside and outside the laboratory room, respectively. Beetles tended to be more colonized on the upper rather than the lower surfaces of cucumber leaf were 83.53% and 77.03%, respectively. Total consumption of paired A. indica, females and males on cucumber leaves ranged 154.44 to 309.86 mm2/day, 33.27 to 70.50 mm2/day and 27.76 to 46.16 mm2/day. The copulation time of A. indica was occurred between 06:00 am to 05:30 pm. The copulation period spent was 46.00 to 118.54 minutes/day. The females prefered laying eggs in a midday, mostly between 09.30 am to 02.25 pm. Each female laid 51 to 64 eggs/day. The beetles A. indica prefered a cucumber as a host plant and fed optimally on cucumber leaf and could successfully produced eggs during experiment.