Biology of italicThaumatomyia/italic Zenker, 1833 (Diptera, Chloropidae) Frit Flies, Predators of Root Aphids in Middle Asia

摘要

titleAbstract/titlepAll the five species of the genus italicThaumatomyia/italic Zenker, 1833 present in Middle Asia have predatory larvae feeding on root aphids. Four species of this genus were recorded in the agrobiocenoses of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan: 2 species (italicTh. sulcifrons/italic and italicTh. notata/italic) in the rainfed zone of Uzbekistan, and all the 4 species (italicTh. glabra/italic, italicTh. rufa/italic, italicTh. sulcifrons/italic, and italicTh. notata/italic) in the beet growing regions of Kyrgyzstan. The remaining species italicTh. hallandica/italic was recorded only in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. Adults of italicThaumatomyia/italic prefer cereals, alfalfa, sugar beet, umbellifers, and flowering forage herbs. Of the 47 species of root aphids recorded in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, 38 species develop on cultural plants and weed while 9 species occur on wild shrubs, semi-shrubs, and trees. All the Middle Asian italicThaumatomyia/italic species are polyphagous; the larvae of italicTh. glabra/italic feed on 31, italicTh. rufa/italic on 22, italicTh. sulcifrons/italic on 35, italicTh. notata/italic on 27, and italicTh. hallandica/italic on 13 species of root aphids. The activity of italicThaumatomyia/italic larvae is an important factor of control of the sugar-beet root aphid italicPemphigus fuscicornis/italic (Koch) and the bean root aphid italicSmynthurodes betae/italic Westwood in sugar beet crops in Kyrgyzstan. The efficiency of italicThaumatomyia/italic larvae as root aphid control agents was much higher in sugar beet crops than in cereal fields within the rainfed agriculture zone of Uzbekistan./p