Survey and Abundance of Suborder Heteroptera: Pest and Beneficial Species in Olive Groves of Turkey

Abstract

Heteroptera suborder contains many phytophagous or predatory important species. A study was conducted in olive groves to reveal the distribution and abundance of pest and beneficial species of Heteroptera. Samples of Heteroptera were collected from olive groves of Adana, Hatay, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Mersin and Osmaniye, provinces in Turkey from 2008 to 2010. A total of 1268 specimens of Heteroptera were collected. The specimens recorded belonged to families; Miridae (601), Anthocoridae (278), Lygaeidae (181) and Pentatomidae (134). They included 99 species in 12 families and 70 genera. The families were Anthocoridae (6), Coreidae (4), Cydnidae (2), Lygaeidae (25), Miridae (25), Nabidae (3), Pentatomidae (18), Pyrrhocoridae (2), Reduviidae (1), Rhopalidae (6), Scutelleridae (2) and Tingidae (5). The most abundant species were Anthocoris nemoralis (Fabricius) (17%), Brachynotocoris cyprius Wagner (16%) and Europiella alpina (Reuter) (10%). Among those, seven phytophagous species were olive pests plus 16 predators. Closterotomus trivialis (A. Costa) (Miridae) was recorded as an important pest on olive trees, but it wasn't found widespread in the surveying provinces.