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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #283793
Title: Attracting and maintaining Tachinidae with flowering plants: estimating attractiveness

Author
item Sivinski, John
item AL DOBAI, SHOKI - Non ARS Employee
item Reitz, Stuart

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/20/2012
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Flowering plants in agricultural landscapes can provide ecological services, such as nectar-food for adult parasitic flies such as Tachinidae. Of the 14 plant species tested only 4 captured significantly more Tachinidae than controls (Agastache hybrid, Ageratina aromatic, Aloysia virgata, and Daucus carota). At the subfamily level there were instances of significant captures of 3 of 4 subfamiles: Dexiinae, Exoristinae and Tachininae. “Attractive” plant species, those whose associated trap-catches were significantly greater than their controls, were not characterized by morphological characteristics (flower width, flower depth, flower density and plant height), however the present study identified particular plants that could be incorporated into regional conservation biological control programs.