Pest-potential organisms on Begoniaceae collection of Eka Karya Bali Botanic Garden

Abstract

Begonia thrives in shady plantations but can tolerate more sun if the soil moisture is maintained. Therefore, the collection of begonia in Eka Karya Bali Botanic Gardens (BBG) is planted in a greenhouse. This increases the potential damage due to pest attacks. The purpose of this study was to identify the pest-potential organisms on begonia. The research was carried out in April–June 2019 at Begonia Park of BBG using survey methods to identify potential organisms and their damage symptoms. We found three species of insects that attack begonia collection, i.e. Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Aleurodicus destructor and Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), and two species of Gastropods namely Parmarion martensi (Gastropoda: Ariophantidae) and Bradybaena similaris (Gastropoda: Bradybaenidae). This result could be utilized as a reference to determine the pest-controlling technique on Begoniaceae.