ABSTRACT We carried out a ten month study on insect species observed on anthesising oil palm male inflorescence in two fruit forms – Dura and Tenera – in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The aim of study was to understand how resources, in this case pollen grain, are adequately shared among the insects, using the data on their occurrence across specific time of the day (8 am to 2 pm) as a basis for establishing a possible trend, as well as explain their coexistence and effective management of pollen resource. Nine insect species were consistently seen on anthesising male inflorescence throughout the period of study. Six of these were of the Elaeidobius Kuschel genus: E. kamerunicus Faust, E. plagiatus Fahraeus, E. singularis Faust, E. subvittatus Faust, E. bilineatus Hustache and Elaeidobius sp. 1; two species were of Microporum genus: M. congolenses and M. dispar, and one Atheta sp. A two-sample non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test showed non-significant difference in population density of the insects per spikelet, across time of day between the two fruit forms (Exact Probability = 0.209). There was indication of coexistence among the insect species on the male inflorescence, expressed in the form of resource partitioning, and observed by their varying population density, and occurrence at different times and period of the day. E. kamerunicus Faust, E. plagiatus Fahraeus, Elaeidobius sp. 1, M. congolenses, and M. dispar had higher population density in the morning period (8 am to 11 am), while E. singularis Faust, E. subvittatus Faust, and E. bilineatus Hustache had higher population density in the afternoon period (12 pm - 2 pm). The population density of Atheta sp. was observed to show an “undulating” pattern across time of day.
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