The effect of plant volatiles on plant preference by the predatory insect, sycanus dichotomus stal. (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in oil palm plantation

Abstract

A study of choice test and no-choice test was conducted to test plant volatiles response to adult orientation behaviour and performance of predatory insect, Sycanus dichotomus on three beneficial plants (Turnera subulata, Antigonon leptopus and Cassia cobanensis) and three ground vegetation covers (Asystasia gangetica, Euphorbia heterophylla and Ageratum conyzoides). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to determine the number of volatile compounds in the beneficial plants extracts, namely Trimethyl-3,4-methylenedioxychromane, Phenol,4,6-di(1,1-dimethylethyl)-2-methyl, 2H-1-Benzopyran,6,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethyl-, n-Hexadecanoic acid, Dodecanoic acid, 3-hydroxy-, Octadecanoic acid, and 2-(2-hydroxyethoxy) ethyl ester and to confirm the most preferred plant by the predatory insect. We recommend further investigation on the efficiency of various beneficial plants in relation to the activities of S. dichotomus.