Do primary and secondary host plants affect aphid- parasitoid interactions in fruit orchards?

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate how the primary (PHP) and secondary host plants (SHP) in the fruit orchards affect the interactions of aphids and their parasitoids in northwest Turkey during spring and summer 2020 and 2021. In total, 67 tritrophic aphid–parasitoid-host plant interactions, including new association records for Europe and Turkey, were obtained from 16 parasitoid species from the subfamily Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) reared from 25 aphid species (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on 22 PHP and SHP in the fruit orchards. Also, we evaluated the effect of the PHP and SHP on the parasitoids, aphids and their interactions. We revealed that the species richness and the values of the biodiversity indices of the parasitoids and aphids were significantly higher on the SHP than the PHP. Similarly, the aphid–parasitoid interactions on the SHP showed greater diversity than the PHP. The results of this study clearly show that the interactions of parasitoids and aphids in the fruit orchards were more diverse on the SHP compared to the PHP.

Impact of Cropland Management on Invertebrate Richness and Abundance in Agroforestry Systems in Bali, Indonesia

“…This is likely due to increased access to floristic resources and nest sites associated with increased tree and crop richness but also due to the high abundance of other invertebrate species [53]. Our finding is further bolstered by Kök et al [54], who explains that the use of non-crop plant species within agricultural environments can support conservation biological control. The preservation of the abundance of Hymenopterans contributing to biological control, many of which are parasitoids, is essential within complex polyculture and rustic systems, as by promoting invertebrate abundance and richness through agroecological practices, populations of crop pest species can also increase, as we found with the populations of Coleoptera (which included potential pests such as individuals from the families Chrysomelidae, Ptinidae, and Scarabaeidae), Hemiptera (in the study area, we found individuals from families that are considered pests, such as Dictyopharidae, Fulgoridae, Pentatomidae, and the subfamily Triatominae), and Orthoptera [53,55,56].…”