PERANAN SEMUT RANGRANG (OECOPHYLLA SMARAGDINA) DALAM PENGENDALIAN BIOLOGIS PADA PERKEBUNAN KELAPA SAWIT

Ants are one of the ideal model to measure and monitor biodiversity for several reasons. Insects that belong to the family Formicidae of the order Hymenoptera and are very numerous and dominant in the ecosystem, either as predators or in symbiosis with plants and many other organisms, easily collected in a way that can be standardized, fairly spread out at the site, allowing it to be identified. Apart of other ecological functions that are helping in spreading plant seeds (dispersals), loose soil, and other insect predators. Ants have a variety of positive and negative role in human life, such as ants Oecophyla smaragdina. The role of ants rangrang (Oecophyla smaragdina) are positive such as a predator of some pests in plantations. The purpose of research aims to the role of ants rangrang (Oecophyla smaragdina) as a biological control in oil palm plantations. This study was conducted in March 2012 until July 2012. Oil palm plantations in Tanjung Api-api, Gasing village, Banyuasin district. The research using preferences test. The results of this research, siginifikant nearly 85% of the ant colony rangrang (Oecophylla smaragdina) can eat the caterpillars fire (Setora sp) naturally in palm oil plants, while 15% of other pest insects.