Species Composition and Bioecological Characteristics of Major Entomophages Against Ornamental Plant Pests in Absheron
Elnura Safarova1* , Irada Mustafayeva2
Abstract. Extended research on both native and introduced ornamental plants in parks, boulevards, sports complexes, and residential zones of the Absheron Peninsula has documented 72 species of entomophages that play an important role in the biological control of pest populations. These species are classified within 4 orders and 12 families, consisting of 46 parasitoid species and 26 predatory species. Among the recorded taxa, 14 species belong to the family Braconidae, 8 to Ichneumonidae, 18 to Chalcidoidea, 1 to Bethylidae, 1 to Scoliidae, 4 to Tachinidae, 5 to Carabidae, 1 to Histeridae, 2 to Staphylinidae, 4 to Dermestidae, 10 to Coccinellidae, and 3 to Chrysopidae. In addition, 15 of these species have been identified as new records for the fauna of Azerbaijan, while 25 species have been documented for the first time in the Absheron region. Altogether, 14 parasitoid and predatory species were evaluated as economically important, and 9 of them were recognized as potentially suitable for application in biological control and integrated pest management programs.
Keywords: Absheron, pest, entomophage, bioecological, ornamental plants, species