Density Estimation of Ground-Dwelling Predators in Wheat Fields of Northwest China

作者：Liu, Junhe^*; Yu, MingFu; Ali, Abid; Liu, JiaYang; Li, Keming; Khuhro, Niaz Hussain

来源：Pakistan Journal of Zoology, 2016, 48(2): 481-487.

• Biological control
• cereal aphids
• ground-dwelling predators
• species diversity

High abundance and species diversity of natural enemies is the basis for biological pest control in wheat fields. However, population densities of ground-dwelling predators are less known, despite their potential to reduce cereal aphid population. In the present study, the role of natural enemies dwelling in the soil limiting the densities of wheat aphids has been focused. The population abundance of ground-dwelling predators and cereal aphids were sampled weekly from 2009-2012 in Ningxia Province, China. Results showed that natural enemies abundance was negatively correlated with aphid densities, indicating predator did not exhibit a numerical response to cereal aphids. Nine species of ground-dwelling predators accented for 78% of all predators collected. Species richness of collected predators varied significantly, depended on the geographical positions. Two species of the predators namely, Chlaenius pallies and Pterostichus gebler were dominant at all selected locations. These findings could be helpful for management of cereal aphids by exploiting ground-dwelling predators as biological agent in wheat fields.

• 出版日期2016-4
• 单位中国农业科学院; 黄淮学院; 中国热带农业科学院椰子研究所; 中国热带农业科学院