There is a high diversity of bees in the tropics, including honey bees and stingless bees, which are the main sources for honey and other ecosystem services. In Indonesia, beekeeping practices have been developed for centuries, and they have been part of many cultural practices in many traditional communities. The objective of this research was to study the beekeeping status and managed bee diversity in Indonesia and to investigate beekeepers’ perspectives on the factors and obstacles related to beekeeping. Direct interview and online interview were conducted to gain data on bees and beekeepers. In total, 272 beekeepers were interviewed across 25 provinces. Samplings of honey bees and stingless bees were also done during direct interviews for further identification and, when possible, pollen identification. All data and specimens were then sent to IPB Bogor for compilation and identification. We recorded 22 species of bees, including 3 species of honey bees and 19 species of stingless bees, that are reared by Indonesian beekeepers, with Apis cerana and Tetragonula laeviceps as the most common species. Our research also found that the majority of beekeepers fall into the category of the younger generation (30–39 years old) with educational background mostly from senior high school. Based on the beekeepers’ perspectives, there are several obstacles to beekeeping, especially the occurrence of death of bee foragers attributed to climate, food source, and pesticides. In conclusion, there is a need to develop a strategy for beekeeping and bee conservation in Indonesia, especially for adaptation and mitigation from environmental changes with a particular focus on climate and land-use change.

Since ancient times, sago grubs have been consumed by people in many places including Maluku, Papua and Borneo in various processed forms. People who own sago forests/plantations or reside in places with sago forests currently still eat sago worms as a supplement to their diet. Sago grub, larva of red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier), is a pest majorly on sago and others palm trees. The objective of this study was to obtain data on the life cycle of the insect in the laboratory and to determine the nutritional content of sago grubs as a reference for the utilization of sago grubs. as an alternative source of protein for human as well as livestock. The results showed that egg stage take place in 3-5 days, larvae consists of 5 instars and take place in about 60-72 days. The pupal stage take place in about 16-20 days, the total life cycle of insect in the laboratory is 89.3 days. The 4^th and 5^th instar larvae have nutritional composition including carbohydrate, protein, fat, minerals and vitamins. They contain 27.97% protein, all (9) essential amino acids, 59.71% fat with three unsaturated fatty acids including the essential fatty acids : omega 3 and omega 6. Therefore, they have the potential to be cultivated as natural source of animal protein for human and livestock.

Islands offer exclusive prisms for an experimental investigation of biodiversity x ecosystem function interplay. Given that species in upper trophic layers, e.g., arthropod predators, experience a comparative disadvantage on small, isolated islands, such settings can help to clarify how predation features within biotic resistance equations. Here, we use observational and manipulative studies on a chain of nine Indonesian islands to quantify predator-mediated biotic resistance against the cassava mealybug Phenacoccus manihoti (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) and the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Across island settings, a diverse set of generalist lacewing, spider and ladybeetle predators aggregates on P. manihoti infested plants, attaining max. (field-level) abundance levels of 1.0, 8.0 and 3.2 individuals per plant, respectively. Though biotic resistance—as imperfectly defined by a predator/prey ratio index—exhibits no inter-island differences, P. manihoti population regulation is primarily provided through an introduced monophagous parasitoid. Meanwhile, resident predators, such as soil-dwelling ants, inflict apparent mortality rates up to 100% for various S. frugiperda life stages, which translates into a 13- to 800-fold lower S. frugiperda survivorship on small versus large islands. While biotic resistance against S. frugiperda is ubiquitous along the island chain, its magnitude differs between island contexts, seasons and ecological realms, i.e., plant canopy vs. soil surface. Hence, under our experimental context, generalist predators determine biotic resistance and exert important levels of mortality even in biodiversity-poor settings. Given the rapid pace of biodiversity loss and alien species accumulation globally, their active conservation in farmland settings (e.g., through pesticide phasedown) is pivotal to ensuring the overall resilience of production ecosystems.

This study aims to determine the main pests and diseases of tuni and forest clove and to get data of the damage intensity caused by them in clove plantation (“dusung”) in Hitu Lama village, Leihitu District, Central Maluku Regency. The method used is a survey method in four dusung of each tuni clove and forest clove. The observation of plant damage was done on 10% of plants in each dusung. The results showed that the main pest on tuni clove is stem borer (Nothopeus sp.) while on forest clove is a leaf eater. The main diseases found on both cloves plants is leaf spot disease (Cylindrocladium quinguseptatum and Pestalotia palmarum). The damage intensity of stem borer on tuni clove was 31.76% (moderate category) and leaf eaters on forest clove was 12.11% (mild category). The intensity of damage due to leaf spot disease on tuni and forest cloves was 23.39% and 20.76% respectively, both are mild category.

Insects are found in almost all ecosystems. The more diverse the ecosystem, the more various species of insects will be. This study aims to determine the diversity of insect in vegetable crops. Field research was carried out in a vegetable plantation owned by farmers in Waemital village, Kairatu District, Western Seram Indonesia. Observations were made by survey methods in which insects was caught using swing insect net, pitfall trap and hand picking. Insect caught was preserved in plastic bottles contain 70% alcohol. Insects collected were identified at the Insect Collection Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture Pattimura University. Diversity (H’) and dominance (D) indices were analyzed using formula of Shannon-Wiener and Simpson, respectively. Totally, there were 2894 individuals of insect captured during the study which belong to 6 orders, 10 families and 11 species. Order Hemiptera with four species has the highest number of individuals, which is 2167 individuals or 74.88% of the total individuals collected. Most families was collected at chili field while the least was caught at tomato plantation. Based on diversity index (H’) and dominance index (D), insect community at vegetable fields in Waemital Village, Western Seram has moderate diversity with low dominance.

Maluku, an archipelagic province with many small islands, is a key nutmeg-producing region in Indonesia. However, nutmeg production has declined over time for unclear reasons. This study aims to assess climate change and its impact on nutmeg production in the Banda Islands, Maluku, Indonesia, by analyzing long-term (1964–2023) rainfall trends and the relationship between climate variables and crop productivity. The relationship between climate variables and nutmeg production over a 15-year period was analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results showed annual rainfall in the Banda Islands increased by 13% in 1994–2023 compared to 1964–1993. The frequency of El Niño events decreased from 8 to 4, while La Niña events increased from 4 to 8 over the same periods. Nutmeg production is positively correlated with rainfall and relative humidity, while it is negatively associated with air temperature and sunshine duration.