Arabica coffee (Coffee arabica) is among the most preferred varieties cultivated worldwide, including in West Java. Indonesia ranks as the fourth country with the largest coffee production (Organization, 2021), and the increasing demand for arabica coffee has led to an expanded area of plantations in Bandung district (Statistik, 2022). Most coffee plantations in West Java are community-owned, with three types of cultivation systems comprising monoculture, horticultural intercropping, and agroforestry.

In 2020–2022, coffee production in Indonesia declined significantly (Statistik, 2023) due to climate change, which shortened the life cycle of pests, resulting in rapid population growth as well as horizontal and vertical expansion of distribution ranges. To combat pest challenges, farmers commonly use chemical pesticides, but the intensive application can kill non-target insects such as parasitoids, predators, and pollinators. The death of these beneficial insects disrupts the ecological balance in the coffee ecosystems, leading to an increase in the population of pests(Merhi et al., 2022) .

Members of the arthropods phylum, particularly insects, and predatory arachnids, play important roles in ecosystems. The species diversity and functional complexity of insects are influenced by landuse forms or types. Heterogeneous or complex landscape types feature high species diversity (Karp et al., 2013)(Vandermeer & Perfecto, 2010). This phenomenon is evident when comparing arthropod abundance in agroforestry systems with monoculture or open-land intercropping scenarios (Pumariño et al., 2015)(Rosati et al., 2021). However, ecosystems subjected to high input management and intensive use of pesticides tend to experience diminished biodiversity(Cerda et al., 2017)(Wei et al., 2018) .

The coffee plantation in Palasari used as the research site is intensively managed. Meanwhile, intensive land management practices influence pest infestation rates and the abundance of natural enemies, specifically in peripheral areas or land adjacent to agroforestrypu(Pumariño et al., 2015)(Schroth et al., 2000). Immense adoption of intensive management systems in large coffee plantations (Zewdie et al., 2020) tends to reduce spatial heterogeneity and biodiversity (Geeraert et al., 2019)(Steffan-Dewenter et al., 2007).

The presence of beneficial insects is significantly influenced by management level, with natural enemies such as predators and parasitoids being more abundant in poorly managed systems(Diehl et al., 2013)(Martin et al., 2013)(Rusch et al., 2010)(Jonsson et al., 2015)(Medeiros et al., 2019)(Whitehouse et al., 2018) . The abundance of natural enemies residing in intensively managed sites is directly and indirectly affected by several cultivation mechanisms, including pesticide application, microclimatic conditions, as well as the absence of nectar-producing crops and alternative hosts (Medeiros et al., 2019)(Tscharntke et al., 2007). Therefore, it is necessary to understand and monitor pest management practices along with the local environment in supporting coffee production sustainability(Escobar-Ramírez et al., 2019).

Based on the contexts described, there is a need to monitor insects and other arthropods present in the coffee ecosystems. The diversity and abundance status of insects reflect the health of the local environment, which is essential for determining the land management level in the area. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the diversity and ecological roles of insects and arachnids in the arabica coffee ecosystems in Palasari, Bandung Regency. The results will serve as a basis for policy formulation regarding land management and environmental preservation to support sustainable coffee production.

The Palasari coffee plantation is located near the edge of an industrial pine forest. The pine forest can support the diversity of arthropods in the area, including in the coffee plantation, by providing habitat for various insect and spider species. The abundance of arthropods is strongly influenced by the ecosystem type including vegetation complexity as well as tillage and environmental factors such as rainfall and humidity. Insects are the arthropod group with the largest number of species as well as the fastest and best adaptability(Sheffield & Heron, 2018) Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, and Diptera have the highest abundance found in the coffee ecosystems. These three orders insect belong to a group comprising the highest number of species in the world(Sheffield & Heron, 2018) while Coleoptera is the fourth largest order. Moreover, the type of ecosystem has a significant impact on the abundance and diversity of insect natural enemies such as parasitoid populations. According to(Kasmiatun et al., 2022) the abundance and diversity the Coleoptera Order were higher in forest ecosystems compared to plantations.

The climate plays an important role in presenting the community of arthropods and species abundance. Observation showed a daily temperature of around ranged from 27 to 32 ºC with relatively heavy daily rainfall. The presence of insects is greatly influenced by the climate, including the intensity of rain. In heavy rain conditions, the presence of insects tends to be low(Chen et al., 2019) Heavy rain conditions will also affect the condition of plants, especially flowering and fruiting plants. The lack of flowering plants will decrease the presence of pollinating insects. The presence of flowers on coffee plants affects the diversity of insects, specifically the pollinating groups, which are more attracted to blooming flowers for nectar retrieval.

The evenness level of arthropods (insects and arachnids) found in coffee plantations belonged to the low category. Moreover, the diversity of host plants and the type of arthropod feeding preferences may affect the low evenness level of species in the observation field. Host-specific arthropods depend largely on host availability, while generalist arthropods have a large host spectrum which promotes higher organism presence(Setiawan et al., 2016)

The type of cultivation carried out influences the type and presence of insects, hence, coffee plants in open monoculture or polyculture systems without shade trees tend to increase the population of phytophages.(Shimales et al., 2023) reported a higher pest population in Ethiopia on coffee plantations than semi-forest land (agroforestry) or natural forest. This observation was similar to the results showing a higher species diversity of phytophagous insects or pests on arabica coffee plantations in Palasari, Bandung Regency compared to other insects and other functions. Furthermore, the balance of arthropod functions in the ecosystems was assumed to be affected by the lack of vegetation diversity. Agroforestry land presenting vegetation diversity creates more stable ecosystems, which makes the number of phytophages and natural enemies nearly balanced(Campera et al., 2022)

The presence of insect pests and the intensity of attacks can be affected by the availability of shade plants. The type of coffee land used during the observations was the open type lacking shade trees. The land use in Palasari Village comprises a plantation system, monoculture coffee, and small intercropping of coffee with horticultural (vegetable) groups. The reduction of shade plants in these ecosystems leads to high pest attacks as well as decreased parasitoid ability and parasitization processes(Shimales et al., 2023) The presence of shade trees in the land affects both ecosystem services (Priyadarshini et al., 2011) and the composition of insects(Rasiska & Khairullah, 2017)(Jonsson et al., 2015) In addition to shade tree species, flowering vegetation availability influences the composition of parasitoid and predatory insects(Supriyad et al., 2019)

Land management systems have been found to affect the diversity and composition of arthropods. Since the land observed in this research is intercropping coffee ecosystems with horticulture, the use of pesticides in controlling pests in horticultural crops can affect the abundance of insects. Management intensification can decrease the diversity and abundance of natural enemies, for example, by reducing vegetation complexity which can lead to scarcity of flowering plants, alternative hosts, and habitation of natural enemies(Medeiros et al., 2019)(Zewdie et al., 2020) This negative situation also results from the impacts of pesticide application that affect natural enemies(Schmidt-Jeffris et al., 2022) However, the value of arthropods diversity index in the local ecosystems is high. This signifies the local coffee ecosystems can support the existence of insects, hence optimization of resources is needed to achieve sustainability.

Cultivation practices and pest management in coffee plants should be directed to protect beneficial organisms such as natural enemies and pollinators. Natural enemies effectively suppressing insect populations and pollinator can promoting optimal coffee production. Furthermore, ecological tillage management systems preserve natural enemies and other beneficial insects for coffee production sustainability(Medeiros et al., 2019) Exposure to important information regarding ecological land management could help farmers achieve sustainable coffee production.

In conclusion, the results showed a relatively high diversity of insects on coffee fields in Palasari, Bandung Regency, even though the group of phytophagous insects was the most commonly found. This high diversity of arthropods signified stable ecological functions, thereby suggesting the need for appropriate land management to support the existing diversity.