Dual ecosystem services of syrphid flies (Diptera: Syrphidae): pollinators and biological control agents

Abstract

With increasing worldwide pressure on bee pollinator populations and an increase in insecticide resistance amongst pest insects, there is a growing need for diversification of pollinator and pest control systems. Syrphid flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) contribute ecosystem services to agroecosystems through their supporting roles as crop pollinators and predators of pests. Adult syrphids are important pollinators with high floral visitation rates and pollen carrying capacity, while predatory syrphid larvae are natural biological control agents, reducing aphid populations in both field and laboratory conditions. The present challenge is to determine whether syrphid flies have the potential for application as pollinators and in integrated pest management schemes as biological control agents. Currently, there are gaps in research that are hindering the use of syrphids as dual service providers. Such gaps include a lack of knowledge of syrphid floral preferences, the role and viability of adult syrphids as pollinators in natural and agro-ecological pollinator networks, and the predatory efficiency of larvae in field and glasshouse conditions. By reviewing relevant literature, we demonstrate syrphid flies have the potential to be used as pollinators and biological control agents.

A Journal of the Plague Year

“…The use of chemical ecology to manage insect parasitoids that have parasitoid hosts (fourth tropic level hyperparasitoids) is reviewed 15 . There is a review on the potential use of syrphid flies as pollinators and biological control agents 16 . How climate change can affect insecticide resistance and its genetics is reviewed 17 .…”

“…15 There is a review on the potential use of syrphid flies as pollinators and biological control agents. 16 How climate change can affect insecticide resistance and its genetics is reviewed. 17 The structure, function, activation, specificity, and mode of action of the insect-active proteins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis in its vegetative stage are discussed.…”

Aphidophagous hoverflies reduce foxglove aphid infestations and improve seed set and fruit yield in sweet pepper

“…Recently, it was demonstrated that two commercially available hoverflies, namely Eupeodes corollae (Fabricius) and Sphaerophoria rueppellii (Wiedemann), could control the aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and concurrently contribute to pollination in sweet pepper 13 . Yet important gaps still exist regarding the potential of these species to effectively regulate populations of other important aphid pests in augmentative biological control programs 1 …”

Theoretical Foundation of the Control of Pollination by Hoverflies in a Greenhouse

“…The pollen is more attractive to wild bees than honey bees. There are two possible solutions: (a) Release of pollinators other than honey-bees and bumblebees, such as syrphids [8], since the flowers of tomato are widely visited by hoverfly species [9,10]. (b) Supplying of additional food to pollinators in order to maintain more adult insects than what is maintained by greenhouse crops [11,12].…”