Pest Management Science (2022) 78, 3051-3060

Annette Van Oystaeyen, Ella Tuyttens, Sten Boonen, Lien De Smedt, Stijn Bellinkx, Felix Wäckers and Apostolos Pekas (2022)
Dual purpose: Predatory hoverflies pollinate strawberry crops and protect them against the strawberry aphid, Chaetosiphon fragaefolii
Pest Management Science 78 (7), 3051-3060
Abstract:
BACKGROUND
Predatory syrphids are an important functional group due to their potential for providing multiple ecosystem services. Adults feed on nectar and pollen, and can be effective pollinators, while larvae are voracious predators that can reduce aphid pressure. Still, little research has addressed their potential dual function in agroecosystems. In this study, we assessed the potential of two predatory hoverflies, Eupeodes corollae and Sphaerophoria rueppellii, for delivering concurrent pollination and biological control of Chaetosiphon fragaefolii in greenhouse strawberries.
RESULTS
Both hoverfly species effectively pollinated strawberry flowers of two different varieties ('Elsanta' and 'Sonsation'), resulting in an increase in high-quality marketable fruits, a reduction of fruit deformities, and higher number of seeds per fruit compared to pollinator-excluded fruits. S. ruepellii had a significantly longer flower handling time than E. corollae, which translated to a more efficient pollination expressed as higher seed numbers per fruit after a single flower visit. By contrast, flowers that were open to multiple visits were more effectively pollinated by E. corollae, suggesting that E. corollae is potentially a better cross-pollinator than S. rueppellii. In addition, both hoverfly species suppressed aphid populations in strawberry (var. 'Sonata'), with S. rueppellii and E. corollae reducing aphid populations by 49% and 62%, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Predatory syrphids can concurrently contribute to pollination and biological control in strawberry in a greenhouse setting.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Felix L. Wäckers

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Chaetosiphon fragaefolii	Strawberry (Fragaria)	Belgium
Eupeodes corollae (predator)	Chaetosiphon fragaefolii	Strawberry (Fragaria)	Belgium
Sphaerophoria rueppellii (predator)	Chaetosiphon fragaefolii	Strawberry (Fragaria)	Belgium