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The influence of anthropogenic pressure on the structure of communities of parasitoids of the Pimplinae subfamily (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) inhabiting urban green areas
Urban green areas have favourable conditions for the development of phytophagous species, which feed on plants and thus reduce their aesthetic value. The population of plant pests can be limited by parasitoids of the Pimplinae subfamily. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of low, medium, and high anthropogenic pressure on the qualitative and quantitative structure of Pimplinae communities inhabiting urban green areas and to determine the influence of this pressure on the catchability of insects. The research was conducted between 2014 and 2016 in allotment gardens, Botanical Garden and Zoological Garden in the city of Poznań, using the method of catching adult insects in yellow Moericke traps. The research showed that the richness of plant species had the greatestinfluence on the qualitative and quantitative structure of Pimplinae communities, whereas the size of the area, distance from the city centre, and the intensity of air pollution exerted lesser influence.
Parasitoids of the subfamilies Pimplinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) and Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) occurring in urban greenery of the Poznań city
The study aimed to determine the species composition and abundance of parasitoids from the subfamilies Pimplinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) and Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) found in various habitats in urban greenery and to demonstrate the rela¬tionship between plant species diversity and the species structure of parasitoid assemblages. It was found that only for the subfamily Aphidiinae was there a significant effect of habitats on the abundance of individual assemblages and the effect of years on the total abundance of assemblages. A positive relationship was observed between vegetation diversity and the abundance and species diversity of parasitoids of the subfamily Aphidiinae, as well as similarity in the qualitative-quantitative structure of Pimplinae assemblages present in a given habitat. Positive effects of trees: Betula pendula, Tilia tomentosa, Salix alba and Salix caprea, shrubs: Berberis julianae, Ber¬beris vulgaris and Spiraea japonica, and herbaceous plants: Elymus repens, Festuca rubra and Hypochoeris radicata on the qualitative¬-quantitative structure of parasitoid assemblages of the subfamily Pimplinae by creating a suitable food base for these entomophagous imagines were noted.
Urban greenery of Gdynia as a habitat for parasitoids of the subfamily Pimplinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae)
Urban greenery is defined by the high density and species diversity of plants. As such, it is a habitat for various groups of insects, including pests and insectivores. This study aims to determine the species composition and abundance of parasitoids of the subfamily Pimplinae in urban green spaces. The study was conducted between 2009 and 2016 in Gdynia. Sweep-net sampling and collecting dead insects from the beach were used. A total of 442 specimens belonging to 45 species of Pimplinae were collected. They represented 66.18% of the species listed in this habitat and 32.61% of the species found in Poland. The dominant species included Tromatobia lineatoria (14.26%), Scambus inanis (10.41%), Zaglyptus varipes (7.92%), Tromatobia ovivora (7.70%), Acropimpla pictipes (6.57%), Scambus calobatus (5.43%) and Gregopimpla inquisitor (5.21%). Three trophic groups were distinguished among the parasitoids, including parasitoids of phytophagous insects, i.e. Arachnida and Aculeata. Parasitoids of phytophagous insects were the most abundant [34 species (75.55%)].