Bitki Koruma Bülteni, cilt.62, sa.1, ss.5-11, 2022 (Hakemli Dergi)
This study revealed the tritrophic interactions of predatory coccinellids-host aphidshost plants on pome and stone fruit trees and herbaceous plants in fruit orchards of Çanakkale Province, Turkey. Field sampling was done during the spring and summer seasons in 2020 and 2021. Twelve predatory species belonging to eight genera from the family Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) were found interacting with eleven host aphids from the family Aphididae (Hemiptera) on eight host plants. A total of 33 tritrophic interactions of predatory coccinellids-host aphids-host plants were revealed on the pome and stone fruit orchards in the Çanakkale Province. From the predators, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) associated with seven aphids was the most common coccinellid, followed by Oenopia conglobata (L.) which was associated with six aphids. From the aphids, Brachycaudus helichrysi (Kaltenbach) was the most common species; it was associated with ten different predatory coccinellids. Also, from the host plants, the highest number of the interactions of predatory coccinellids-host aphids were revealed on Cydonia oblonga Mill. (Rosaceae) and Prunus domestica L. (Rosaceae) in the pome and stone fruit orchards of Çanakkale Province. As a result, it is considered that the tritrophic interactions of predatory coccinellids-host aphids-host plants should be better understood to increase the success of biological control of pest aphids on the fruit orchards.