ISSN 0258-7122 (Print), 2408-8293 (Online)

Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 43(4): 647-653, December 2018

FUNCTIONAL AND GROUP ABUNDANCE OF INSECTS ON
EGGPLANT

M. R. AMIN1, M. S. MIAH2, H. RAHMAN3

N. P. NANCY4 AND M. K. A. BHUIYAN5

Abstract
The eggplants (Solanum melongena L.) were cultivated in the field to investigate
the abundance and diversity of insects. In total 488 insects were collected from
the eggplant field during May to August 2016, which belonged to 20 species in
21 families and 10 orders. Among the taxonomic orders, Hemiptera was the
most dominant followed by Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, and Diptera. The order
Thysanoptera revealed the lowest abundance. The abundance, richness and
diversity of pest, predator, pollinator and other categories of insects differed
significantly and the pest revealed the highest abundance and richness compared
to others. In total 9 species of insects belonged to 7 families of 4 orders were
found as pest and their abundance varied from 0.1±0.1 to 4.6±0.9 /30 sweeps. In
total 8 species of insects belonged to 8 families of 7 orders were found as
predator and their abundance varied from 0.3±0.1 to 2.0±0.3/30 sweeps. Among
the predator insects, lady bird beetle showed the highest abundance. In eggplant
field, insects were highest and lowest abundant at 11.00 and 13.00 h of the day,
respectively.
Keywords: Abundance, richness, diversity, pest, predator, pollinator, Solanum
melongena.

Introduction
Eggplant is one of the widely grown Solanaceous vegetables incredibly contains
various constituents belonging to the category of the flavenoid, alkaloid, oleic,
palmitic and linoleic acids (Yadav et al., 2010). It is extensively cultivated in
Bangladesh throughout the year. But the major constraint to sustainable
productivity is the high incidence of insect pests.
Eggplants are infested by a number of pests such as brinjal shoot and fruit borer,
aphid, jassid, whitefly, epilachna beetle, leaf hopper etc. Among them brinjal
shoot and fruit borer is the most devastating pest in many parts of the world
which may cause more than 60% loss of yield (Kapoor, 1993). Nayer et al.
(1995) reported 53 species of insects pests cause damage to eggplant in India.
Bhadauria et al. (1999) reported that shoot and fruit borer, jassid, aphids, leaf
roller and stem borer were the most common pest of eggplant in Madhay
Pradesh, India.

1-4
Department of Entomology, 5Department of Plant Pathology, Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh.
DOI: http://
648 AMIN et al.

Predator species play significant role in reducing pest population and they are
free living organisms in both their immature and adult stages. About 167 families
of 14 orders contain predatory insects. However, the orders Coleoptera,
Neuroptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera and Hemiptera provide a very large number
of individuals which frequently control the pest population. The lady bird beetles
are well known beneficial arthropods found in many habitats (Ali and Rizvi,
2009). The adults and larvae of lady bird beetles found to be an effective
predatory fauna in eggplant ecosystem (Ali et al., 2009). El-Shafie (2001)
reported that Coleoptera had occupied 60 % of the total plant dwelling predators
in brinjal agroecosystem in Sudan.
Different categories or species of insects in certain habitat interact among them
for food and shelter, and eventually influence on their abundance, richness and
diversity. Vergara and Badano (2009) reported that 12 species of insects are
found as pollinators in eggplant field and they are linked as the functional
component of the eggplant ecosystem. Functional diversity is an important
component of diversity which is a common approach to test the effects of
diversity on ecosystem. In the present study insect pest, predator and pollinator
abundance and diversity were investigated to find out their functional group
status in eggplant ecosystem.

Materials and Method

The study was conducted during March to August 2016 in the Field Laboratory
of the Department of Entomology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Agricultural University (BSMRAU), Gazipur, Bangladesh.
Study location and climatic conditions: The study site is located at 25°25′
North latitude and 89°5′ East longitude, which is in the middle of Bangladesh.
The study area has a subtropical climate having mean maximum and minimum
temperatures 36.0 oC and 12.7 oC, respectively, and relative humidity and rainfall
are 65.8% and 237.6 cm, respectively (Amin et al., 2015).
Collection of eggplant seeds and cultivation of crop: Seeds of eggplant namely
BARI begun 8 were collected from the Horticulture Research Center, Bangladesh
Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh and were sown on 2 March 2016 in
poly bags. For transplanting seedlings, plots having 4.0 m × 4.0 m followed by
randomized complete block design were used. The spacing between block to
block and plot to plot were 60 cm × 60 cm. Eggplant seedlings were transplanted
60 cm apart on 21 March 2016, in rows. The distance from row to row was 60
cm. Each plot has five rows and each row contained 5 plants. Fertilizers were
applied according to Fertilizer Recommendation Guide (N- 78 kg, P- 36 kg, K-
66 kg, S- 17 kg per hectare). Intercultural operations such as irrigation and
weeding were done whenever necessary.
FUNCTIONAL AND GROUP ABUNDANCE OF INSECTS ON EGGPLANT 649

Insect collection and identification: Free-living insects were collected from

flower initiation to fruit maturation stage using a 30 cm diameter sweep net
having 1.5 mm mesh, and attached with a 2 m long rod. Every week sweeping
was done in between 09.00 to 11.00 am, and each sample was consisted of 30
sweeps covering an area from ground level to the top of the trees. The collected
insects were brought to the Entomology Laboratory of BSMRAU for
identification and counting. They were killed by storage in a freezer for a few
hours, mounted on points, dried and morphotyped. Insects were identified to
species or genus level and also was separated as pest, predator, pollinator and
other categories. Identified specimens were deposited in the insect museum of
BSMRAU.
Observation of insect abundance and foraging behavior of pollinators: Peak
foraging time of the frequently abundant insect species was observed. To find out
peak foraging time, weekly collection was conducted at 7.0 h, 9.0 h, 11.0 h and
13.0 h in a day, and number of insects per sample were counted. The insects
collected at 11.0 am were grouped as pest, predator, pollinator and other
category. Landing duration of the pollinators on eggplant flowers were measured
using a stop watch. Observations were done in between 10:00 to 11:30 am and
data were recorded 7 times for each species.
Statistical analysis: One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey
HSD posthoc test was employed for analyzing richness (total number of species),
abundance (total number of individuals), diversity (Simpson Index of Diversity),
abundance of pest and predator, and distribution of the insects. Diversity was
calculated following the formula of Simpson (1949). Chi statistics was applied to
find out significant difference in percent of insects among various orders. All the
analyses were performed using IBM SPSS 21.0. (IBM SPSS statistics 21,
Georgia, USA).

Results and Discussion

In the present study, in total 488 insects were collected from the eggplant field.
The collected insects belonged to 20 species of 21 families and 10 orders. The
percent of insects in different taxonomic orders varied from 0.4 to 33.6 (Fig. 1).
Among the taxonomic orders, Hemiptera(33.6) was the most dominant followed
by Coleoptera (28.3%), Hymenoptera (12.7%), Diptera (8.8%), Lepidoptera
(7.6%), Odonata (2.6%) and Dermaptera (2.5%). Other orders namely Orthoptera
(2%), Dictyoptera (1.2%) and Thysanoptera (0.4%) showed very lower
percentages of abundance.
Table 1 showed that the abundance, richness, and diversity of pest, predator,
pollinator and other categories of insects varied from 5.2±0.6 to 14.4±1.1,
1.5±0.1 to 5.0±0.2, 0.2±0.03 to 5.0±0.2 /30 sweeps, respectively and the results
differed significantly (abundance: F3,80=39.1, P < 0.001; richness: F3,80=43.3, P <
0.001; diversity: F3,80= 3.9, P<0.01). The abundance and richness of insect pest
650 AMIN et al.

was higher compared to predator, pollinator and other categories. The insects in
other categories revealed the lowest abundance, richness but showed highest
diversity.

Fig. 1. Insects (%) belong to different taxonomic orders found in the eggplant field

Fig. 2. Distribution of insect counts (mean ± SE) in eggplant field during full
blooming period. Bars with common letter(s) are not significantly different
by Tukey HSD posthoc statistic at P < 0.05.
FUNCTIONAL AND GROUP ABUNDANCE OF INSECTS ON EGGPLANT 651

Klein et al. (2007) reported the abundance, richness and diversity of insect pest,
predator and pollinators and found significant variations. Insect species in
eggplant field in different climatic and habitat conditions varied significantly.
Vergara and Badano (2008) reported the richness of pollinator species in
eggplant field and found the highest richness in rustic shaded site followed by
commercial poly culture sites, and the lowest species richness was recorded in
the specialized shaded plantations
Table 1. Average abundance, richness and diversity of insects in eggplant field
Insect Pests Predators Pollinators Others
Abundance 14.4±1.1 a 5.8±0.6 b 5.4±0.5 b 5.2±0.6b
Richness 5.0±0.2 a 3.4±0.3 b 3.7±0.3 b 1.5±0.1 c
Diversity 0.4±0.2 ab 0.2±0.04b 0.2±0.03 b 5.0±0.2 a
Data expressed as mean ± SE. Means per insect group are taken from 30 sweeps per total
collection. Means within a row followed by same letter(s) are not significantly different
by Tukey HSD posthoc statistic at < 0.05.
Table 2. Insect pests along with their abundance in eggplant field
Pest Taxonomic profile Abundance
Epilachna beetle Epilachna dodecastigma (Coleoptera:Coccinellidae) 4.6±0.9 a
Jassid Amrasca biguttula (Hemiptera:Cicadellidae) 4.6±0.4 a
White fly Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera:Aleurodidae) 2.6±0.2 b
Shoot and fruit borer Leucinodes orbonalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) 1.0±0.2 bc
Rice bug Leptocorisa acuta (Hemiptera:Coriedae) 0.2±0.1c
Aphid Aphis gossypii (Hemiptera: Aphididae) 0.9±0.2c
Thrips Thrips hawaiiensis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) 0.1±0.1 c
Leaf hopper Amrasca devastans (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) 0.3±0.1 c
Data expressed as mean ± SE. Mean of each pest was taken from 30 sweeps per total
collection. Means in the column followed by same letter(s) are not significantly different
by Tukey HSD posthoc statistic at < 0.05.
In total, 9 species of insects belonged to 7 families of 4 orders (Coleoptera,
Lepidoptera, Hemiptera and Thysanoptera) were found as pest (Table 2). Their
abundance varied from 0.1±0.1 to 4.6±0.9 /30 sweeps and the results differed
significantly (F7, 160 = 24.2, p < 0.001). Among the pest insects, epilachna beetle
showed the highest abundance while thrips showed the lowest abundance. In
India, 53 species of insects were reported as pest of eggplant of which shoot and
fruit borer was the most destructive (Nayer et al., 1995). Aganon et al. (1997)
reported that shoot and fruit borer, jassid (leaf hopper) and thrips (Thrips tabaci)
were the common pests of brinjal in the field. Several researchers reported the
severity of attack of jassid and white fly in brinjal (Bhadauria et al., 1999, Alam
et al., 2004).
652 AMIN et al.

Table 3. Insect predators along with their abundance in eggplant field

Predator Taxonomic profile Abundance
Preying mantid Mantis regiosa (Dictyoptera:Mantidae) 0.3±0.1 c
Dragon fly Aeshna verticalis (Odonata:Aeshnidae) 0. 3±0.1 c
Short horn Oxya velox(Orthoptera: Acrididae) 0.5±0.1 c
grasshopper
Ichneumonid wasp Megarhyssa macrurus(Hymenoptera 0.4±0.2c
:Ichneumonidae)
Ant Formica rubra (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) 1.3±0.2 ab
Lady bird beetle Coccinella septempunctata 2.0±0.3 a
(Coleoptera:Coccinellidae) -
Coccinella transversalis
(Coleoptera:Coccinellidae)
Earwig Forficula auricularia(Dermaptera :Forficulidae) 0.6±0.1bc
Damselfly Coenagrion puella (Odonata :Coenagrionidae) 0.3±0.1c
Data expressed as mean ± SE. Mean of each pest was taken from 30 sweeps per total
collection. Means in the column followed by same letter(s) are not significantly different
by Tukey HSD posthoc statistic at < 0.05.
In total, 8 species of insects belonged to 8 families of 7 orders (Dictyoptera,
Odonata, Orthoptera, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Dermaptera, Odonata) were
found as predator (Table 3). Their abundance varied from 0.3±0.1 to 2.0±0.3/30
sweeps and the results differed significantly (F7, 160 = 12.1, p < 0.001). Among the
predator insects, lady bird beetle showed the highest abundance, while preying
mantid, dragon fly, damselfly, short horned grasshopper and ichneumonid wasp
showed the lowest and statistically similar abundance. Latif et al. (2009) reported
that predaceous arthropods in brinjal field were grouped in 10 families under 7
taxonomic orders of which Coleoptera was the most important which occupied
42.4% of the total predators under 3 different families such as Coccinellidae,
Carabidae and Staphylinidae. The plant dwelling insects in the brinjal field of
Bangladesh other than Coleoptera were Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, Neuroptera,
Diptera and Dictyoptera which contributed 27.3% of the total arthropods (Latif et
al., 2009).

References
Aganon, T. M., M. G. Patricio, J. I. Calderon, J. S. Soriano and M. L. J. Sison. 1997.
Development of vegetable IPM program in a rice-based cropping systems. Kasetsart
J. Natl. Sci. 32: 32-36.
Alam, S. N., G. J. U. Ahmed, A. K. M. Khorseduzzaman, A. N. M. R. Karim and E. G.
Rajotte. 2004. Survey of vegetable insect pests in rice-vegetable cropping system in
Bangladesh. Annual Research Report. 2003-2004. Entomology Division, Bangladesh
Agricultural Research Institute, Joydebpur, Gazipur, Bangladesh. PP. 44-46.
FUNCTIONAL AND GROUP ABUNDANCE OF INSECTS ON EGGPLANT 653

Ali, A. and P. Q. Rizvi. 2009. Life table studies of Menochilus sexmaculatus Fabr.
(Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) at varying temperature on Lipaphis erysimi Kalt. World
Appl. Sci. J. 7: 897-901.
Amin, M. R., S. Namni, M. R. U. Miah, M. G. Miah, M. Zakaria, S. J. Suh and Y. J.
Kwon. 2015. Insect inventories in a mango-based agroforestry area in Bangladesh:
foraging behavior and performance of pollinators on fruit set. Ent. Res. 45: 217-224.
Bhadauria, N. K. S., N. S. Bhadauria and S. S. Jakmola. 1999. Insect pest complex of
brinjal, Solanum melongena Linn. In north-west Madhya Pradesh. Adv. Plant Sci.
12: 607-608.
El-Shafie, H. A. F. 2001. The use of neem products for sustainable management of
homopterous key pests on potato and eggplant in the Sudan. Ph. D. Thesis,
University of Giessen, Germany.
Kapoor ,V. C. 1993. Indian Fruit Flies. Oxford and IBH Publishing Co. Ltd. New Delhi,
India. pp. 228-277.
Klein, A. M., B. E. Vaissiere, J. H. Cane, I. Steffan-Dewenter, S. A. Cunningham, C.
Kremen and T. Tscharntke. 2007. Importance of pollinators in changing landscapes
for world crops. Proc. Royal Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci. 274: 303-313.
Latif, M. A., M. M. Rahman, M. R. Islam and M. M. Nuruddin. 2009. Survey of
arthropod biodiversity in the brinjal field. J. Entomol. 6: 28-34.
Nayar, K. K., T. N. Ananthakrishnan and B. V. David. 1995. General and Applied
Enotmology. 11th edn. Tata MeGraw-Hill Publ. Co. Ltd. 4/12, Asaf Ali Road, New
Delhi-110002. pp. 557.
Simpson, E. H. 1949. Measurement of diversity. Nature. 163, 688.
Vergara, H. C. and E. I. Badano. 2009. Pollinator diversity increases fruit production in
Mexican coffee plantations: The importance of rustic management systems. Agric.
Ecosyst. Environ. 129: 117-123.
Yadav, M., S. Jain, R. Tomar, G.B. Prasad and H. Yadav. 2010. Medicinal and biological
potential of eggplant: an updated review. Nature. 23: 184-190.
654 AMIN et al.