Ecological infrastructures outside greenhouses – impact on Hymenoptera Parasitica abundance and diversity

Abstract: Plant ecological infrastructures are important for the success of biological control,
providing pollen, nectar, alternative prey and hosts for parasitoids and predators, as well as
shelter. Within the PRIMA ASTER project, a two-year study was carried out in 2023-2024 to
assess the abundance and diversity of the Hymenoptera Parasitica in the surrounding of two
greenhouses used for tomato production in a farm, in the Oeste region, Portugal. In the first
year, four seasonal samplings were conducted, one in the end of spring, two in the summer, and one in autumn, using four Malaise traps outside each greenhouse. Samplings were repeated in the second year, after installing a strip of selected plants with different flowering periods and strata (herbs and shrubs) outside one of the greenhouses, as ecological infrastructures (Foeniculum vulgare, Coriandrum sativum, Rosmarinus prostratus, Borago officinalis, Viburnum tinus, Calluna vulgaris, Thymus vulgaris, Phacelia tanacetifolia, Helichrysum italicum, Lavandula stoechas, and Lobularia maritima). Data is being analysed, aimed at assessing the seasonal dynamics of wasp captures, as well as the diversity of hymenopteran families and their relative importance. The potential effect of the installed ecological infrastructure will be also evaluated.