FACTORS INFLUENCING POPULATION COMPOSITION OF INSECT PESTS ASSOCIATED WITH Acacia PLANTATIONS IN VIETNAM

Abstract

Large - scale plantations of Acacia species have been established in Vietnam for centuries due to their suitability for fuelwood, timber production, and their ecological and economic significance.  However, little is known about the population structure of insect species that damage Acacia plantations in Vietnam. In this study, we conducted field surveys in Acacia hybrid, Acacia mangium and Acacia auriculiformis plantations, both older and younger than three years, located across nine ecological regions: Central Highland, Central Region of Northern Mountains, Mekong River Delta, North Central Coast, Northeast, Northeast of Southland, Northwest, Red River Delta, and South - Central Coast. From 2013 to 2014, we collected 108 insect species which were identified across six orders from 36 Acacia plantation: Lepidoptera (33 species), Coleoptera (32 species), Orthoptera (23 species), Hemiptera (18 species), Homoptera (1 species) and Phasmida (1 species). Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis showed significant differences in insect species composition based on the age of Acacia plantations (Coleoptera), Acacia species (Hemiptera and Lepidoptera) and ecological regions (Coleoptera and Lepidoptera).