Researcher Department of Plant Protection, Bogor Agricultural University, Aunu Rauf PhD, said the caterpillar pests of mango plant in Probolinggo, East Java, is a new type that has never recorded its presence in Indonesia. In the realm of conservation biology, such animal is indicated as an alien species that could affect the existing ecosystems.
"In literature mango crop pests, pests of this type have not been recorded," said Aunu who completed doctoral studies in the field of insects (entomology) at the University of Wisconsin Madison, USA, on Wednesday (06/04/2011).
However, he denied that pest caterpillars that are new species. "It's not a new species yes, just this pest had never encountered before. So this is just the first time to attack," he said.
He had earlier estimated that it is a species of caterpillar Lymantria marginata. Species are recognized from a different wing patterns between males and females as adults. Dark winged males, while female white-spotted wings.
Some experts suspect that the pest had attacked Probolinggoi is Dasychira inclusa. However, he said, "This is another. If Dasychira inclusa morphology is not so. Pest Probolinggo is the color of white wings."
A few days ago, just returned from Probolinggo Aunu for sampling caterpillar. "For now the new is the process of checking in advance to identify the type," he said.
He said the pest attack in Probolinggo is a natural factor. The rapid population of caterpillars that followed the attack on mango plants may occur due to predator species, such as birds or other insects, reduced the population.
