Functional composition and prevalence of arthropod communities in sweet corn-soybean intercropping system in Gazipur, Bangladesh

Abstract: E S H Sweet corn-soybean intercropping is a promising strategy to enhance crop productivity while promoting ecological balance through natural pest regulation. This study assessed the prevalence and functional roles of arthropods-categorized as major and minor pests, predators, pollinators, and casual visitors in a sweet corn-soybean intercropping system (BU Sweet Corn-1) in Gazipur, Bangladesh. Weekly surveys were conducted across vegetative and reproductive stages, with arthropods recorded on ten randomly selected plants per plot. A total of nine pest species from five Orders were recorded. Spodoptera frugiperda was the major pest, present throughout all growth stages (V₁-R₆). Minor pests showed stage-specific occurrence: grasshoppers (Orthoptera) on leaves, tassels, and cobs; thrips, aphids, and whiteflies on leaves and tassels; cob-feeding pests including maize weevil, rice bug, and brown stink bug; and corn silk flies on tassels and cobs. Eight predator species-including ladybird beetles, rove beetles, wolf spiders, green lacewings, and odonates-were observed across various growth stages, supporting natural pest suppression. Six pollinator species, namely honeybees, carpenter bees, butterflies, and syrphid flies, visited primarily tassels and leaves, facilitating pollination. Casual visitors such as houseflies, horseflies, midge flies, blowflies, fruit flies, and mosquitoes contributed minimally to ecosystem services. Community composition showed major pests were the most abundant (44%), followed by predators (18%), minor pests and pollinators (15% each), and casual visitors (8%). Taxonomically, Lepidoptera dominated (20%), followed by Orthoptera (13%), Coleoptera (12%), Arachnida (10%), and Neuroptera (9%), with smaller contributions from Diptera (6%), Odonata (4%), and Hymenoptera (3%). The findings show a diverse arthropod community with pests and beneficial species coexisting, emphasizing the value of conserving natural enemies and pollinators in sweet corn–soybean intercropping for sustainable pest management. 

Keywords: BU Sweet Corn-1, casual visitor, Glycine max, predator, pollinator, Zea mays