The Anthropods

Arthropods provide vital services that benefited the ecosystem. They are the pollinators, decomposes, parasitoids and predators. Pollination is essential for maintenance of flowering plant communities. This services provided by Bees, Flies, wasps, butterflies, moths, midges, thrips and beetles. The writer about to discuss the arthropods important in our Biodiversity in Malaysia. The idea came out after attending Biodiversity Seminar at Tawau last months. Pollination occurred day and night to ensure the male pollen reached the female stigma so that pollination process started. The seed will produce with or without fruit formation.

The soils are continuously replenished with nutrients partly by soil inhibiting insect such as Collembola, Termites and Beetles. The insects decomposed plants and animal debris and consequently increase organic content of the soils. Decomposition process may take few years or months based on the original raw materials. Our virgin jungle is the best area to learn how the system works. Rotten wood and leaves provide nutrient in the soils. New oil palm technology in replanting scheme nowadays using 'chopping method' is an environment friendly and provide decomposition process.

Parasitoids and Predators are natural enemies to many insects including those of economically important pests. They maintain the diversity of insect species by regulating insect population in the forest and agro-ecosystems. The knowledge in Integrated Pest management System (IPM) is important to all farmers and extension gent to understand and applied. Spraying with chemical only applied when the threshold level reach maximum limit. Predators such as Manthis, Lady Bird, Wasps etc able to reduce parasitic pests to a control level.

The high level diversity of arthropod's that inhibits the protected reserved serves not only as potential resources for biological control agents, parasitoids, predators and pathogens for use in the pest management system, but also sources of toxins for the design or development of pesticides. Secretions excreted by spiders to paralyze their prey for example contains compound of interest to insecticide development program. More and detail study has to be establish in the modern agriculture.

By
M Anem
Extensionist
DOA Johor
Malaysia