04 Haz 2025 Çarşamba
Tritrophic associations of aphidophagous Allograpta, Dideopsis and Eupeodes species (Syrphinae: Syrphidae: Diptera) in different states and territories of India
Abstract : The article discusses the tri-trophic relationships involving species from three genera of hover flies that feed on aphids: Allograpta Osten Sacken, which includes a single species, Allograpta javana (Wiedemann); Dideopsis Matsumura, also with just one species, Dideopsis aegrota (Fabricius); and Eupeodes Osten Sacken, which encompasses six species found in India. Allograpta javana (Wiedemann) preys on 15 aphid species that infest 20 different host plants, resulting in 23 tri-trophic associations (triplets) across 10 states, predominantly in Tripura (10 triplets). Dideopsis aegrota (Fabricius) feeds on 14 species of aphids that infest 19 species of host plants, leading to 22 tri-trophic associations across 10 states, mainly in Karnataka (11 triplets). A total of six species of Eupeodes Osten Sacken, including Eupeodes bucculatus (Rondani), Eupeodes confrater (Wiedemann), Eupeodes corollae (Fabricius), Eupeodes frequens (Matsumura), Eupeodes latifasciatus (Macquart), and Eupeodes luniger (Meigen), have been documented in India, all exhibiting aphidophagous behaviour. Eupeodes bucculatus (Rondani) was observed only in Punjab on mustard crops preying on four species of aphids. Eupeodes confrater (Wiedemann) feeds on 43 species of aphids infesting 74 plant species throughout 19 Indian states and union territories. In contrast, Eupeodes corollae (Fabricius) consumes 16 aphid species that target 19 food plant species across 5 Indian states and union territories. Eupeodes frequens (Matsumura) preys on 4 species of aphids feeding on 6 species of host plants with 11 tri-trophic associations in Himachal Pradesh. Eupeodes latifasciatus (Macquart) preys on 13 species of aphids feeding on 13 species of host plants. Tamil Nadu had the highest number of tri-trophic associations with 7 triplets, followed by Uttarakhand (6 triplets) and Jammu & Kashmir (3 triplets). Eupeodes luniger (Meigen) was reported only in Uttarakhand preying on a single aphid species infesting rose plant. All species of Eupeodes Osten Sacken have been recorded on 50 aphid species infesting 87 food plant species in 18 states/union territories of India, resulting in a total of 152 tri-trophic associations. Uttarakhand has the highest number of tri-trophic associations (triplets) for Eupeodes spp. (39 triplets), followed by Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Punjab, Tripura, and Jammu & Kashmir, with over 15 triplets. It is noteworthy that documentation efforts for these aphidophagous hover flies in India have been minimal. Numerous regions still remain unassessed, emphasizing the necessity for a comprehensive survey plan to discover these species in those areas.