Provisioning floral resources to attract Aphidophagous hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) useful for pest management in central Spain

Published source details Martínez-Uña A., Martín J.M., Fernández-Quintanilla C. & Dorado J. (2013) Provisioning floral resources to attract Aphidophagous hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) useful for pest management in central Spain. Journal of Economic Entomology, 106, 2327-2335.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Pest regulation: Plant flowers Action Link

Pest regulation: Plant flowers

A replicated, randomized, controlled study in 2009–2010 in a winter barley field in the Jarama River basin, Spain, found that aphid-eating hoverflies visited some planted flower species more than others. Implementation options: In 2009, more hoverflies visited the flowers of Calendula arvensis (3.6 visits/minute) and Coriandrum sativum (3.5) than Pimpinella anisum (0.6), but other differences between flower species were not significant in 2009 or 2010 (0.6–5.8). Most visits were made by Sphaerophoria sp. (88–96% of visits). Methods: Six flower species were studied. There was one species/plot (1.5 x 1.5 m), with three (2009) or four (2010) blocks, and six plots/block. Hoverflies that touched the reproductive parts of flowers were counted, in the centres of plots (0.5 x 0.5 m), for six minutes/plot, every 2 to 11 days, from 7 May to 26 June 2009, and nine minutes/plot, two times/week, from 27 April to 1 July 2010.