FUNCTIONAL AND NUMERICAL RESPONSE OF Paederus fuscipes CURTIS AGAINST Nilaparvata lugens STALL AND THEIR SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION IN THE RICE FIELDS

Laboratory experiment and field survey revealed that the rove beetle Paederus fuscipes was an aggressive predator of the rice brown plant hopper (RBPH) Nilaparvata lugens and to be found at nursery up to vegetative and generative stages in rice fields in Java, Indonesia. As the promising candidate of biological control agent, the rove beetle showed several criteria of desired predator attributes. Functional response of P. fuscipes against the RBPH fitted with Type II of Holling, it indicated to cause maximum mortality at low prey density. The expected maximum feeding rates on the RBPH was 16.39 while the actual one was 5.46 individuals/24 hours. Positive and strong coefficient correlation, r = 0.844985, on numerical response of P. fuscipes against the RBPH indicated the density-dependent relationship of the predator and prey. Both of P. fuscipes and the RBPH exhibited clumped spatial-distribution-pattern. Since paederin causes dermatitis hence an extra careful must be taken into account in handling the rove beetle for controlling pest insects.