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

Diserahkan: 29 Julai 2022/Diterima: 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

RUJUKAN

Ahmad, A., Ramani, R., Sharma, K.K., Vidyarthi, A.S. & Ramamurthy, V.V. 2014. Distinction of Indian commercial lac insect lines of Kerria spp. (Homoptera: Coccoidea) based on their morphometrics. Journal of Insect Science 14: 263.

Brelsfoard, C.L. & Dobson, S.L. 2011. Wolbachia effects on host fitness and the influence of male aging on cytoplasmic incompatibility in Aedes polynesiensis (Diptera: Culicidae). Journal of Medical Entomology 48(5): 1008-1015.

Cheong, Y.I., Sajap, A.S., Hafidzi, M.N., Omar, D. & Abood, F. 2010. Outbreaks of bagworms and their natural enemies in an oil palm, Elaeis guineensis, plantation at Hutan Melintang, Perak, Malaysia. Journal of Entomology 7: 141-151.

De Oliveira, C.D., Goncalves, D.S., Baton, L.A., Shimabukuro, P.H.F., Carvalho, F.D. & Moreira, L.A. 2015. Broader prevalence of Wolbachia in insects including potential human     disease vectors. Bulletin of Entomological Research 105(3): 1-11.

Ellis, J.A., Walter, A.D., Tooker, J.F., Ginzel, M.D., Reagel, P.F., Lacey, E.S., Bennett, A.B., Grossman, E.M. & Hanks, L.M. 2005. Conservation biological control in urban landscapes: Manipulating parasitoids of bagworm (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) with flowering forbs. Biological Control 34(1): 99-107.

Eubanks, M.D. & Denno, R.F. 2000. Host plants mediate omnivore-herbivore interactions and influence prey suppression. Ecology 81(4): 936-947.

Grundy, P.R. 2007. Utilizing the assassin bug, Pristhesancus plagipennis (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), as a biological control agent within an integrated pest management programme for Helicoverpa spp. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Creontiades spp. (Hemiptera: Miridae) in cotton. Bulletin of Entomological Research 97(3): 281-290.

Jamian, S., Norhisham A., Ghazali, A., Zakaria, A. & Azhar, B. 2016. Impacts of 2 species of predatory Reduviidae on bagworms        in oil palm plantations. Insect Science 24(2): 285-294.

Jeyaprakash, A. & Hoy, M.A. 2000. Long PCR improves Wolbachia DNA amplification: wsp sequences found in 76% of sixty‐three arthropod species. Insect Molecular Biology 9(4): 393-405.

Hernández, M., Abrahan, L.B., Dujardin, J.P., Gorla, D.E. & Catalá, S.S. 2011. Phenotypic variability and population structure of peridomestic Triatoma infestans in rural areas of the arid chaco (Western Argentina): Spatial influence of macro- and microhabitats. Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases 11(5): 503-513.

Hosokawa, T., Koga, R., Kikuchi, Y., Meng, X.Y. & Fukatsu, T. 2010. Wolbachia as a bacteriocyte associated nutritional mutualist. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 107(2): 769-775.

Hwang, W.S. & Weirauch, C. 2012. Evolutionary history of assassin bugs (Insecta: Hemiptera: Reduviidae): Insights from divergence dating and ancestral state reconstruction. PLoS ONE https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0045523

Kamarudin, N. & Arshad, O. 2016. Diversity and activity of insect natural enemies of the bagworm (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) within an oil palm plantation in Perak, Malaysia. Journal of Oil Palm Research 28(3): 296-307.

Klingenberg, C.P., Leamy, L.J. & Cheverud, J.M. 2004. Integration and modularity of quantitative trait locus effects on geometric shape in the mouse mandible. Genetics 166(4): 1909-1921.

Mohammed, M.A., Aman-Zuki, A. & Yaakop, S. 2020. A review: Research on Wolbachia endosymbiont (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) associated with insects in Malaysia: Trends and prospects. Serangga 25(3): 144-159.

Mohammed, M.A., Aman-Zuki, A., Yusof, S., Md-Zain, B.M. & Yaakop, S. 2017. Prevalence and evolutionary history of endosymbiont Wolbachia (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) in parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) associated with Bactrocera fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) infesting carambola. Entomological Science 20(1): 382-395.

Muhammad-Luqman, H.A., Dzulhelmi, M.N., Idris, A.B. & Izfa, R.H. 2017. The potential natural predators of Elaeidobius kamerunicus Faust, 1878 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Malaysia. Serangga 22(2): 239-252.

Norman, K., Mohd-Basri, W. & Zulkifli, M. 2017. Handbook of Common Parasitoid and Predator Associated with Bagworm and Nettle Caterpillars in Oil Palm Plantation. Bangi: Malaysian Palm Oil Board Press.

Parveez, G.K.A., Hishamuddin, E., Loh, S.K., Ong-Abdullah, M., Salleh, K.M., Zainal-Bidin, M.N.I., Sundram, S., Azizul-Hasan, Z.A. & Idris, Z. 2020. Oil palm economic performance in Malaysia and R & D progress in 2019. Journal of Oil Palm Research 32(2): 159-190.

Sahayaraj, K. 2012. Artificial rearing on the nymphal developmental time and survival of three reduviid predators of Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu. Journal of Biopest 5(2): 218-221.

Salavert, V., Zamora-Muñoz, C., Ruiz-Rodríguez, M. & Soler, J.J. 2011. Female-biased size dimorphism in a diapausing caddisfly, Mesophylax aspersus: Effect of fecundity and natural and sexual selection. Ecological Entomology 36(3): 389-395.

Stouthamer, R., Breeuwer, J.A. & Hurst, G.D. 1999. Wolbachia pipientis: Microbial manipulator of arthropod reproduction. Annual Reviews in Microbiology 53(1): 71-102.

Wan, N.A., Nurul, W., Yaakop, S. & Norefrina, S. 2018. Morphology and histology of reproductive organ and first screening of Wolbachia in the ovary of red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae). Serangga 23(2): 183-193.

Werren, J.H. 1997. Biology of Wolbachia. Annual Review of Entomology 42(1): 587-609.

Wood, B.J. 2002. Pest control in Malaysia’s perennial crops: A half century perspective tracking the pathway to integrated pest management. Integrated Pest Management 7(3): 173-190.

Wood, B.J. & Kamarudin, N. 2019. Bagworm (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) infestation in the centennial of the Malaysian oil palm industry - A review of causes and control. Journal of Oil Palm Research 31(3): 364-380.

Zchori-Fein, E., Gottlieb, Y. & Kelly, S.E. 2001. A newly discovered bacterium associated with parthenogenesis and a change in host selection behavior in parasitoid wasps. National Academy of Sciences 98(22): 12555-12560.

Zhou, W., Rousset, F. & O’neill, S. 1998. Phylogeny and PCR-based classification of Wolbachia strains using wsp gene sequences. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences 265(1395): 509-515.

Zulkifli, M., Norman, K. & Mohd-Basri, W. 2004. Life cycle of Sycanus dichotomus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) - A common predator of bagworm in oil palm. Journal of Oil Palm Research 16(2): 50-56.

*Pengarang untuk surat-menyurat; email: norhisham_razi@upm.edu.my