Tomcat also Gives Benefits to Farmers

Tomcat, the insect that was talked about alot in the community lately, is in fact not so frightening as it is thought. This insect is actually very beneficial and is a friend of the farmer. Tomcat can eat pesticide-resistant pests.

A lecturer of the Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB, Dr.Ir. Purnama Hidayat.M.Sc., released it in Interactive Dialogue in RRI Bogor, not long ago.

Dr Purnama explained that this insect, with  Latin name Paederus Fuscipes, is the predator of other insects. "Tomcat is able to eat as many as seven other insects per day," he said.

Further, Dr.Purnama explained that the spread of tomcat to the settlement area because the habitat of the insect, i.e. rice field, is disappearing or damaged.

The interactive dialogue broadcast on RRI Bogor was receiving quite good responses from the public, either by phone or SMS.

At the end of the program, Dr.Purnama said, to avoid skin irritation caused by this tomcat is by not smashing the insects on the skin because this insect will excrete a toxin called pederin,

"Immediately wash with soap. People do not need to worry about this insect because apart from this, there is a positive value of this tiny tomcat, the friend of the farmer," concluded Dr. Purnama. (Mtd)