Diversitas Serangga Pengunjung, Aktivitas Kunjungan Lalat Forcipomyia dan Pembentukan Buah Kakao (Theobroma cacao L.)

Abstract

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is an entomophilous plant which is need insect for pollination. Insect can increase cocoa’s fruit set. The aim of this research were to study diversity, visiting activity of Forcipomyia, and fruit set of cocoa. Observation of visiting insect community was conducted by scan sampling method. Visiting activity of Forcipomyia were observed based on lenght of visit per flower, number of flowers visited per minute, and lenght of insect active on flowers. Pollen load on body of Forcipomyia were measured. Pollination effectiveness of insect visited were measured from number and size of the cocoa fruit. Result showed that 9 species from 19 species of insects visitors, were pollinator of cocoa’s flower i.e. Forcipomyia, Cecidomyia, Stilobezzia, Drosophila, Orimarga, Dolichoderus, Pheidole, Megachile, and Nomia. Cacao pollination by insects produced fruit set 3% higher than flowers without insect pollination. Pollination by insects produced size and weight of fruit, and number of seed per fruit were higher than pollination without insects.