Bulletin of Insectology (2012) 65, 257-263

Célia Mateus (2012)
Bioecology and behaviour of Coenosia attenuata in greenhouse vegetable crops in the Oeste region, Portugal
Bulletin of Insectology 65 (2), 257-263
Abstract: Spatial distribution and flight and predation activities of Coenosia attenuata Stein (Diptera Muscidae) adults were studied in greenhouse vegetable crops in the Oeste region, Portugal. During spring and summer, fewer flies were seen in the crops in the middle of the day in relation to the morning and afternoon periods. Males/ females ratio was 1:4, independently of the season. Flies were significantly more abundant in the sunny areas of crops in relation to the shadowed ones, and were found landed on cucumber and sweet pepper plants (especially on leaves), in opposition to tomato plants; in this crop, flies preferred the tutors and other greenhouse structures. Adults were also abundant next to the soil, on the plastic covering it and on irrigation pipes. Outside greenhouses, adults landed everywhere. Most flies, when landed in the pending cucumber leaves, were next to their borders and oriented downwards. Some flights were trigged by insects flying inside a range of about 30 cm distance (here called "provoked flights"), and also by other movements made by the observer nearby. Insects landed on the same leaf as the predator, moving closely (but not flying), were not attacked. The majority of flights registered had no visible cause ("non-provoked flights"), some of them looking more like jumps. In 72% of provoked flights, flies returned to the leaf they had just left, and in almost half of them, they adopted both the location and the orientation they had before in the leaf. The percentage of preys captured was very low: many flights were probably the result of a territorial behaviour and not of a predation activity. Cannibalism was not detected in the field. Predation in the field occurred on whiteflies, small hymenopterans, leafhoppers, leafminers, sciarids, psocopterans, and also on thrips. Most preys were attacked in the cervix area.
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Database assignments for author(s): Celia Mateus

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Liriomyza (genus)		Portugal (continental)
Coenosia attenuata (predator)	Liriomyza (genus)		Portugal (continental)