Sains Malaysiana 52(10)(2023): 2733-2745

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2023-5210-01

Morphometric Analysis, Feeding Capacity and Proteobacteria Wolbachia Screening in Yellow-Assassin Bug Cosmolestes picticeps

(Analisis Morfometri, Keupayaan Suapan dan Saringan Proteobacteria Wolbachia pada Serangga Kepinding Cosmolestes picticeps)

MUHAMMAD NASIR DZULHELMI¹, AHMAD R. NORHISHAM^2,*, MAMAT NUR-SYAHIRAH³, NURSYEREEN NASIR⁴, SU SURIYANTI⁵, FARAH NADIAH ROSLI⁵, MADIHAH HALIM⁵, WAN NURUL AIN WAN MOHD NOR⁵, SITI ASMAH MUSLIM⁶, SALMAH YAAKOP⁷ & HAMIDUN BUNAWAN⁸

¹Crop Protection & Bio-Solution, FGV R&D Sdn Bhd, Tun Razak Agricultural Research Centre, 27000 Jerantut, Pahang, Malaysia

²Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

³International Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences (I-AQUAS), Universiti Putra Malaysia, 71050 Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

⁴Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

⁵Department of Earth Science and Environment, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43000 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

⁶Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

⁷Centre for Insect Systematics, Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

⁸Institute of System Biology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

Received: 29 July 2022/Accepted: 29 September 2023

Abstract

The yellow-assassin bug, Cosmolestes picticeps (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) is a generalist predator that has potential use as biological control agent in oil palm agroecosystem. They are known to feed on insect pests like bagworm. To facilitate understanding on the suitability of C. picticeps as an alternative means to manage oil palm pests, and little impact on beneficial insects, this study investigated the morphological variations, feeding capacity and proteobacteria in C. picticeps. To examine the relationships between morphology and feeding capacity of C. picticeps, a total of 90 male and 90 female individuals of C. picticeps collected were measured, and then provided with weevil individuals in captivity. The results showed no significant correlation between the size of C. picticeps with the number of weevil individuals consumed. Meanwhile, the present study also want to determine whether there are proteobacteria Wolbachia sp. in female C. picticeps gut content using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification. The result showed absent of Wolbachia surface protein and Wolbachia citrate synthase coding gene amplification. Based on the present study, more information on the C. picticeps should be assessed as they have the potential as biological control agent to suppress insect pests in agricultural ecosystem.

Keywords: Agriculture; biological control; Cosmolestes picticeps; endosymbiont bacteria; morphometric analysis

Abstrak

Serangga kepinding, Cosmolestes picticeps (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) merupakan pemangsa penting dalam ekosistem kelapa sawit. Ia terkenal sebagai spesies yang memakan serangga perosak seperti ulat bungkus. Untuk memudahkan kefahaman dalam kesesuaiannya sebagai alternatif dalam mengawal serangga perosak dan pada masa sama mempunyai sedikit kesan sahaja terhadap serangga bermanfaat, maka penyelidikan ini mengkaji mengenai morfologi, keupayaan pemakanan dan mengesan kehadiran proteobacteria dalam C. picticeps. Untuk mengenal pasti hubungan antara morfologi dan keupayaan pemakanan, sebanyak 90 individu jantan dan 90 individu betina C. picticeps telah disampel, diukur dan diletakkan kumbang pendebunga dalam bikarnya. Hasil keputusan kajian menunjukkan tidak terdapat korelasi antara saiz C. picticeps dengan jumlah kumbang pendebunga yang dimakan. Selain itu, kajian ini juga ingin mengenal pasti sama ada terdapat proteobacteria Wolbachia dalam C. picticeps betina menggunakan kaedah Tindak Balas Berantai Polimerase. Keputusan menunjukkan Proteobacteria Wolbachia sp. tidak dikesan pada kepinding betina daripada hasil amplifikasi Wolbachia permukaan protein dan Wolbachia sitrat sintase pengekodan gen. Daripada hasil kajian ini, lebih banyak maklumat mengenai biologi C. picticeps harus dinilai kerana spesies ini berpotensi sebagai agen kawalan biologi untuk mengawal serangga perosak dalam ekosistem pertanian.

Kata kunci: Analisis morfometrik; bakteria endosimbion; Cosmolestes picticeps; kawalan biologi; pertanian

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*Corresponding author; email: norhisham_razi@upm.edu.my