Table 2 Taxonomical composition of insects of amaranth generative organs
Order, Family
Number of
species
Relative
density
Order, Family
Number of
species
Relative
density
Orthoptera
Staphylinidae
1
+
Coccinellidae
6
++
Acrididae
2
+
Chrysomelidae
6
+
Thysanoptera
Bruchidae
1
+
Aeolothripidae
1
+++
Curculionidae
1
+++
Heteroptera
Nitidulidae
1
+
Anthocoridae
3
+++
Anthicidae
1
+
Nabidae
1
+
Mordellidae
1
++
Miridae
10
+++
Hymenoptera
Pentatomidae
1
+
Chalcidoidea
1
+
Lygaeidae
1
+
Formicidae
1
+
Rhopalidae
2
+
Vespidae
1
+++
Homoptera
Apidae
1
+
Aphididae
2
++
Halictidae
1
++
Psyllidae
1
+
Andrenidae
1
++
Cicadellidae
6
++
Megachilidae
1
+
Delphacidae
1
+
Diptera
Membracidae
2
+
Stratiomyidae
3
+
Dictyopharidae
1
+
Bombyliidae
3
+
Aphrophoridae
1
+
Syrphidae
13
++
Cixiidae
3
+
Tephritidae
1
+
Neuroptera
Calliphoridae
1
+++
Chrysopidae
1
+
Sarcophagidae
1
+++
Coleoptera
Tachinidae
3
++
Malachiidae
1
+
Notes. + –– solitary species; ++ –– common species; +++ –– mass species.
Insects of amaranth generative organs are represented by such trophical groups:
1) polyphagous phytophags;
4) predators, which mainly attack the phytophags of amaranth and have
maturation feeding by amaranth pollen;
3) parasitoids, which have maturation feeding by amaranth pollen;
4) anthophilic species, adults visit amaranth for maturation feeding by pollen.
Dominants of the first group are plant bugs (Miridae) – (Lygus pratensіs,
L. rugulіpennіs and Polymerus vulneratus) and amaranth weevil (Lixus subtilis
Boheman, 1835). The bugs are inportant grain pests in all regions of amaranth growing,
especially Miridae.
Amaranth weevil is the most closely associated with amaranth, because it infests
this plant starting from the 6–8 leaves phase, the beetles consume leaves and later
unripe grain.
The most abundant predators were the thryps Aeolothrіps fascіatus and the bug
Orius minutus (Linnaeus, 1758), which were spread on amaranth inflorescences during
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