Aphids (Aphididae) and their parasitoids in selected vegetable ecosystems in Slovenia

Abstract

Sucking insects, which representatives are also aphids, can cause important economic damage on cultivated and wild-growing plants in vegetable ecosystems. Our research was based on the aim of biological control, which is to limit or to control the pests with the use of their natural enemies. From April to November 2006 living aphids and their mummies were sampled together with their host plants in four locations in Slovenia. The samples have been taken from vegetables, weeds, within-crops plants and from the plants in the field borders. The occurrence of 18 aphid species was confirmed - 14 of them were parasitised. In our research 365 parasitoid specimens (17 species from 8 genera - Aphidius, Binodoxys, Diaeretiella, Ephedrus, Lipolexis, Lysiphlebus, Monoctonus, and Praon - of the family Aphidiidae) were recorded and identified. The most abundant parasitoid species were Aphidius matricariae (32.2 %) and Lysiphlebus fabarum (29.3 %). Parasitoid L. fabarum had the widest range of hosts; it parasitised aphids on the plants from 7 different botanical families. Sex ratio in our research confirmed the known fact, that in natural ecosystems female parasitoids are more numerous than the male parasitoids; this ratio in our research was 71 % : 29 %.