Arthropod fauna and their relative abundance in tomato inter cropping system

Abstract

The study was carried out during September 2016 to August 2017 at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur to investigate the community composition of arthropods and their relative abundance in additive row intercropping system of tomato with brinjal, lettuce, onion and garlic. In total of 2512 arthropods were collected from the intercropping system which belonged to 8 taxonomic Orders while Hemiptera occupied 50.8% of the total abundant. The collected arthropods were categorized as insect pests, arthropod predators and insect pollinators. The insect pests belonged to 5 taxonomic orders and they showed the highest abundant in Hemiptera (76.0%). The arthropod predators were under 5 taxonomic orders and Acari revealed the highest abundance (31.4%) followed by Hymenoptera (24.6%), Coleoptera (17.4%), Diptera (15.0%), and Neuroptera (11.5%). The pollinator insects were found in two taxonomic orders namely Hymenoptera (74.0%) and Lepidoptera (26.0%). In total 13 species of insects belonged to nine families were found as pest and their relative abundance varied from 2.9 to 29.4%. Eight species of predatory arthropods were found which belonged to seven families and their relative abundance ranged from 5.3 to 21.9%. Among the predatory arthropods garden spider was most abundant (21.9%). The prevailed insect pollinators of the intercropping system were in 12 species and their relative abundance varied from 1.8 to 42.0%. The findings suggest that the tomato intercropping system is a habitat for abundance and diversity of arthropod community.