| Popis: |
Control of arthropod pests on indigenous flower crops often has particular challenges. Here we investigate the arthropod species associated with indigenous cultivated Protea species and cultivars in the Cape Floristic Region (CFR), South Africa. Arthropod individuals were collected from various commercial varieties of protea as well as from wild protea plants. Arthropod individuals were recorded directly on plants in the field (for disturbance-sensitive species), as well as from specific plant parts carefully enclosed in plastic bags and taken to the laboratory. Of the arthropod morphospecies recorded, 95.9 % were insects, and the rest mostly mites. A total of 37 % of the individuals could be identified to species level, along with 33 new species records of arthropods on protea plants. Taxonomically, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera and Diptera were the most abundant and speciose groups. Structurally complex plants and mixed stands of plant species harboured the most arthropod species. Morphospecies w... |
