Alternative plants hosts of legume aphids and predators in the province of León, Spain

Abstract

I. Bertolaccini, E. Nunez-Perez, and E. J. Tizado. 2011. Alternativeplants hosts of legume aphids and predators, in the province of Leon(Spain). Cien. Inv. Agr. 38(2): 233-242. The study was done during thespring, summer and fall of 1998 and 1999. Samples were taken at randomfrom legume crops and spontaneous plants adjacent to them in theprovince of Leon (Spain). Observations were made on the following crops:Medicago saliva, Phaseolus vulgaris, Pisum sativum, Cicer arietinum,Trifolium repens, Vicia fava, Trifolium pratense, Vicia ervilia,Lathyrus cicera, Lathyrus sativus, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Lupinusalbus, Lupinus angustifolius and Lens esculenta. Twenty three familiesof spontaneous plants were observed. The aphid species and theirpopulation densities on the spontaneous plants and crop plants wererecorded, as was the presence of members of the families Coccinellidae,Syrphidae and Chrysopidae. The plant families Brassicaceae, Asteraceaeand Chenopodiaceae had the greatest numbers of these natural enemies ofaphids the manipulation of spontaneous plants in agrosystems is apotential means of increasing populations of natural enemies of aphidpests in legume crops.