Attraction of green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) to native plants used as ground cover in woody Mediterranean agroecosystems

Herrera, R.; Ruano, Francisca; Ramírez, Cándido Gálvez; Frischie, Stephanie; Campos, Mercedes

doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2019.104066

Cited by 14 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…In a previous study, we selected 42 native plant species to evaluate their attractiveness to chrysopids based on chrysopid captures from sown plant species and on their use as reproduction sites [ 28 ]. By linking these previously published findings to the current results, we observed that one of the most attractive plant species for chrysopids is B .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although C . bursa-pastoris was not on the sown plant list for 2017 [ 28 ], its pollen was consumed by 81% of the chrysopid adults examined as compared to 40% from B . auriculata in that year.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the experimental farm, in order to test the way in which chrysopid species exploited the plant resources, a set of 51 plant species were planted ( S1 Table ) which need to [ 62 ]: (i) be native angiosperms, (ii) be self-sowing winter annuals which do not compete for water with orchards during the summer season and (iii) have a bloom period prior to olive blooming in order to attract natural enemies to the agroecosystem. The potential use of these plants as ground cover and for seed production [ 25 ], as well as their attractiveness to on chrysopid species, were tested [ 28 ] in previous studies. The farm was tilled in late November 2015 and 2016, and the seeds were planted on consecutive days.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The use of native species could have a beneficial impact on ground cover while avoiding the disadvantages of non-native plant species [ 24 – 27 ]. Thus, knowledge of the ways in which different native plant species attract natural enemies and pollinators and of how their floral resources are used could contribute to the development of more effective mixtures and to the promotion of effective landscape management practices [ 28 – 31 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…C . carnea (Stephens) sensu Henry [= Chrysoperla affinis (Stephens) sensu Thierry] and Chrysoperla lucasina (Lacroix, 1936), the first green lacewings to appear in field crops, are attracted to large patches of flowering plants [ 38 ], which are used as oviposition and feeding sites [ 20 , 28 ]. Green lacewing larvae prey on a wide range of small, soft-bodied insects, as well as on the eggs and small larvae of lepidopteran insects [ 39 ], while the adults, generally palyno-glycophagous, feed on honeydew, pollen and nectar [ 38 , 40 – 42 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The suitability of native flowers as pollen sources for Chrysoperla lucasina (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

2020

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Green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) are key biological control agents found in a broad range of crops. Given the importance of enhancing their presence and conservation, in this study, we aim to identify and to determine the relative importance of the pollen consumed by Chrysoperla lucasina (Lacroix, 1936) from 29 pollen types offered by 51 native plant species sown in an experimental farm in Villarrubia in the south of Spain. For the purposes of this study, C . lucasina specimens were captured in the late spring of 2016 and 2017. The pollen types and other components in the alimentary canal of C . lucasina were microscopically identified using the transparency method, which is a novel technique applied to green lacewings captured in the field. The results show that (i) C . lucasina feeds on over half of the pollen types offered by the sown plant species, with no differences in behaviour by sex or year; (ii) Capsella bursa-pastoris was the most frequently identified pollen type in the alimentary canal; (iii) the majority of pollen types identified correspond to sown native plant species and not to surrounding plant species; and that (iv) most of the adults studied also consumed honeydew. Our feeding study has important implications for the selection of plant mixtures for ground cover restoration and flower vegetation strips in Mediterranean agroecosystems, which complements our previous findings on how C . lucasina use native plant species as host and reproduction sites. The plant species Capsella bursa-pastoris and Biscutella auriculata , which are best suited to provide pollen, host and reproduction sites for C . lucasina in late spring, should consequently be included in the proposed plant mixtures for Mediterranean agroecosystems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The suitability of native flowers as pollen sources for Chrysoperla lucasina (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

2020

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Using flower strips to promote green lacewings to control cabbage insect pests

et al. 2021

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Habitat management improves biological control by increasing the abundance and fitness of natural enemies through the provision of floral resources along field edges or between crops. Among the natural enemies reliant on flower resources, green lacewings often stand out due to their abundance, predation capacity and polyphagy. We evaluated the impact of tailored flower strips on the enhancement of natural enemies, especially green lacewings, in three organic cabbage (Brassica oleracea) farms in Southern Sweden. Insects were sampled from the flower strips, and cabbage pests and predators were visually recorded in the crop. In a laboratory assay, the pollen feeding preferences of Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens, 1836) were evaluated in a dual-choice test. The pollen consumed by the Chrysopidae was extracted from laboratory and field specimens, then quantified and identified. Flower strips were found to attract predators and parasitoids, whose abundance increased as flowers bloomed. Cabbage plants next to the flower strips showed lower pest infestation as compared to cabbage plant control, although no significant differences were observed in the number of predators. Chrysopidae used flower strips as feeding, reproduction and shelter sites and mainly consumed pollen from Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth. Under laboratory conditions, C. carnea showed a preference for P. tanacetifolia and Coriandrum sativum L. pollen over Borago officinalis L. and Fagopyrum esculentum Moench. We show that tailored flower strips could be an efficient tool for enhancing beneficial arthropods and should be considered in integrated pest management for cabbage crops.

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Plant functional groups modulate the effects of landscape diversity on natural predators

Wen,

Zheng,

et al. 2025

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment

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Attraction of green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) to native plants used as ground cover in woody Mediterranean agroecosystems

Cited by 14 publications

References 41 publications

The suitability of native flowers as pollen sources for Chrysoperla lucasina (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

The suitability of native flowers as pollen sources for Chrysoperla lucasina (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

Using flower strips to promote green lacewings to control cabbage insect pests

Plant functional groups modulate the effects of landscape diversity on natural predators

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