Use of selected flowering plants in greenhouses to enhance aphidophagous hoverfly populations (Diptera: Syrphidae)

Abstract

The addition of floral resources in a crop is the most commonly used conservation biological control strategy. The influence of additional floral resources on the abundance of aphidophagous syrphids has been studied in Mediterranean sweet-pepper greenhouses, in southeast Spain. Sweet alyssum and coriander were the plant species used as flowering plants, distributed in the greenhouse in several monospecific patches. In our first experiment the influence on syrphid pre-imaginal stages (larvae and pupae) was studied and adult stages were studied in a second experiment. A higher number of pre-imaginal syrphids was recorded in two replicated greenhouses where flowers were introduced, compared with two control greenhouses (without additional floral resources). To evaluate the effect on adults, 4 greenhouses were divided into 2 plots in each greenhouse and flowers were introduced in one plot per greenhouse. More hoverfly adults were observed in the plots where flowers had been introduced than in the control. The three most abundant syrphid species found were Eupeodes corollae, Episyrphus balteatus and Sphaerophoria rueppellii. Specimens from these species were dissected, and their pollen content was analysed to assess the food potential of the introduced flowers. The three syrphid species fed on pollen from both the flowering plants, as well as on sweet-pepper pollen. This conservation biological control strategy is an effective method to enhance native syrphid populations in Mediterranean sweet-pepper greenhouses.