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The Ecological Impacts of Non-Native Annual and Native Perennial Floral Insectaries on Beneficial Insect Activity Density and Arthropod-Mediated Ecosystem Services Within Ohio Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) Agroecosystems

Phillips, Benjamin W
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1374181106

Abstract Details

2013, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Entomology.
Pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo) rely on insect-mediated pollination, and host a distinct community of pests, natural enemies and pollinators. My goal was to determine if biocontrol and pollination services in pumpkins were affected by local habitat management and landscape composition in Ohio. I measured biocontrol through predation and parasitism rates of sentinel egg cards of squash bug (Anasa tristis) and the spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardii), and collected adults of striped cucumber beetle (Acalymma vittatum) to determine parasitism activity in 2011-2012. I used pitfall traps to determine the activity density of ground-dwelling predators per field per sample period, and video cameras to determine the taxa responsible for egg mortality. I measured visitation frequency and duration of Apis mellifera, Bombus spp., and Peponapis pruinosa in male and female flowers of pumpkins in 2011-2012, and pollen deposition across the pollination window (0600-1200 hr) in 2012. I tested the Intermediate Landscape-Complexity Hypothesis in one year by determining the combined effects of surrounding landscape composition and local habitat management on the relative visit frequency of pollinators, activity density of predators, and rates of predation and parasitism services by ranking general linear mixed models. I found that only D. undecimpunctata experienced a significant amount of egg predation, which was positively correlated to the percentage of field crops within a 1500 m radius of pumpkin fields. The parasitism of A. vittatum and the visitation frequency of A. mellifera was diluted in the presence of fruit and vegetable habitats within a 1500 m radius, and P. pruinosa visit frequency was diluted within a 500 m radius. Parasitism of A. vittatum was positively associated with urban habitats within a 500 m radius, and the visit frequency of P. pruinosa was positively associated with urban habitats within a 1500 m radii. Predation of A. tristis and D. undecimpunctata eggs and parasitism of A. vittatum adults were not significantly affected by the addition of annual non-native floral insectaries of sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) or a perennial native insectary planted adjacent to the crop. Formicidae were the largest contributor to egg predation, and also responded positively to urban habitats. Activity density of Carabidae and Orthoptera captured in pitfalls located in alyssum insectaries increased with higher percentages of mowed turfgrass habitats. In 2011 A. mellifera was more abundant in flowers than other bees, and in 2012 Bombus spp. was the most abundant. A. mellifera spent more time in flowers, and had a higher visit frequency in female flowers. In both years, Bombus spp. had a significantly higher visit frequency after 0700 hr, and both Bombus spp. and P. pruinosa spent less time in flowers after 0800 hr. Pollen loads on female flowers indicated that the majority of pollen deposited across the 6 hr window was transferred between 0600-0800 hr, which is when all three bee species foraged with equal frequency and similar visit duration, though Bombus spp. was the largest contributor. Alyssum and perennial floral insectaries did not have an effect on the foraging activity of bees. However, visits to pumpkins by A. mellifera showed that pumpkin fields close to an increased percentage of forest habitats supported higher visit frequencies to pumpkins with alyssum floral insectaries.
Mary Gardiner (Advisor)
Karen Goodell (Committee Member)
Robin Taylor (Committee Member)
Celeste Welty (Committee Member)
136 p.
Agriculture; Ecology; Entomology
Intermediate Landscape-Complexity Hypothesis; pollination; biological control; pumpkin; Cucurbita pepo; floral strips; habitat management; annual insectary; perennial insectary; Ohio; general linear mixed modeling; glmm

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Phillips, B. W. (2013). The Ecological Impacts of Non-Native Annual and Native Perennial Floral Insectaries on Beneficial Insect Activity Density and Arthropod-Mediated Ecosystem Services Within Ohio Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) Agroecosystems [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1374181106

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Phillips, Benjamin. The Ecological Impacts of Non-Native Annual and Native Perennial Floral Insectaries on Beneficial Insect Activity Density and Arthropod-Mediated Ecosystem Services Within Ohio Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) Agroecosystems. 2013. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1374181106.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Phillips, Benjamin. "The Ecological Impacts of Non-Native Annual and Native Perennial Floral Insectaries on Beneficial Insect Activity Density and Arthropod-Mediated Ecosystem Services Within Ohio Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) Agroecosystems." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1374181106

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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© 2013, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License The Ecological Impacts of Non-Native Annual and Native Perennial Floral Insectaries on Beneficial Insect Activity Density and Arthropod-Mediated Ecosystem Services Within Ohio Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) Agroecosystems by Benjamin W Phillips is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.