Seasonal abundance of key alfalfa (Fabaceae) seed production pests and their natural enemies in southern Alberta, Canada

The economic importance of insect pests in agricultural fields and the potential biological control by their natural enemies warrant foundational studies for the development of integrated pest management strategies. An insect survey was conducted in alfalfa (Fabaceae) seed production fields in south...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian entomologist 2024-11, Vol.156, Article e36
Main Authors: Ríos Martínez, Aldo F., Reid, Michelle, Frost, Carol M., Cárcamo, Héctor A., Mori, Boyd A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abundance
Agricultural land
Agricultural practices
Alfalfa
Biological control
Biotic factors
Economic importance
Environmental effects
Fabaceae
Flowering
Hemiptera
Hymenoptera
Hypera postica
Insecticides
Insects
Integrated pest management
Larvae
Lygus
Miridae
Natural enemies
Pest control
Pests
Prairies
Predation
Predators
Research Paper
Seasonal variations
Seasonality
Seed production
Seeding
Trophic relationships
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Summary:The economic importance of insect pests in agricultural fields and the potential biological control by their natural enemies warrant foundational studies for the development of integrated pest management strategies. An insect survey was conducted in alfalfa (Fabaceae) seed production fields in southern Alberta, Canada, during the bud, flowering, and seed crop stages in 2020 and 2021. We examined the seasonal abundance of Hypera postica (Gyllenhal) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Adelphocoris lineolatus (Goeze) (Hemiptera: Miridae), Lygus spp. Hahn (Hemiptera: Miridae), and 12 natural enemy taxa. We also examined the seasonal abundance, richness, and diversity of generalist predators and the seasonality of the two H. postica parasitoids, Bathyplectes curculionis (Thomson) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) and Oomyzus incertus (Ratzeburg) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). The seasonality of pests and natural enemies was inconsistent between years. Hypera postica larvae, B. curculionis, and O. incertus were present from mid-June to mid-August. However, we detected no correlations between H. postica larvae and its two parasitoids in either year. A number of generalist predators were correlated with A. lineolatus and Lygus spp. Further research is needed to understand the effects of environmental and biotic factors on the seasonality of pests and natural enemies in alfalfa seed production fields, and the insects’ trophic interactions.
ISSN:0008-347X
1918-3240
DOI:10.4039/tce.2024.21