Urban greenery aphids (Hemiptera, Aphididae)

Janina Bennewicz,Maciej Korczyński,Tadeusz Barczak

doi:10.2298/abs1303053b

Abstract

In 2010-2011, a study of the occurrence of aphids was carried out in three parks in Bydgoszcz, the Balaton Park, the Jan Kochanowski Park and the Park by Unii Lubelskiej. Observations were made every ten days by monitoring trees and shrubs as soon as aphids appeared, i.e. from the end of April to the beginning of August. The counts of aphids were replicated three times, on each plant species where the insects were observed. Based on the collected material, 14 aphid species were found on 16 plant species in the Jan Kochanowski Park, 16 species of aphids on 14 plant species in the Balaton Park and in the Park by Unii Lubelskiej, only 12 species feeding on 16 plant species. In both years of the study, of aphid species feeding on trees and shrubs, Aphis fabae, Aphis sambuci, Aphis spiraephaga and Hyalopterus pruni, occurred most frequently. The Balaton Park was characterized by the largest number of aphids colonizing plants; in contrast, the number of tree and bush species on which they fed was the lowest.

Highlights

Urban environments create specific conditions for entomofauna, since human activity has caused the degradation of the primary ecosystems in them
A study was conducted in Poland, proving that there is a different response of different trophic groups of insects to the effect of factors connected with urbanization pressure (Trojan and Winiarska, 2001)
JK - Jan Kochanowski Park, B - Balaton Park, UL - Park by Unii Lubelskiej D3 – numerous species - subdominant, represented by 10.1 - 20 % of the total number of individuals D4 – very numerous species - dominant, accounting for more than 20% of the collected material in the given habitat

Summary

Introduction

Urban environments create specific conditions for entomofauna, since human activity has caused the degradation of the primary ecosystems in them. The first Polish studies of urban entomofauna and its changes under the influence of urbanization pressure were published in the seventies of the last century (Lubiarz et al, 2011). They gave the grounds for learning processes determining the development and reproduction of insects in cities. A study was conducted in Poland, proving that there is a different response of different trophic groups of insects to the effect of factors connected with urbanization pressure (Trojan and Winiarska, 2001) They are characterized by an aptitude for adapting to constantly changing urban conditions. Insects with piercing-sucking mouthparts constitute the most numerous group of these arthropods, being at the same time the largest threat to urban greenery (Trojan and Winiarska, 2001; Barczak, 2004)

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