Species Composition and Trophic Specialization of Natural Enemies in Onion And Garlic Agroecosystems

Onion (Allium cepa L.) and garlic (Allium sativum L.) are among the most economically important vegetable crops in Uzbekistan. Their productivity is affected by numerous insect and mite pests, making the identification of natural enemies an important component of integrated pest management programs. The present study aimed to determine the species composition, taxonomic diversity, and trophic structure of entomophagous and acariphagous arthropods associated with onion and garlic agroecosystems in Uzbekistan. Field surveys were conducted at 20 sampling sites distributed across four regions of the country. Arthropods were collected using sweep-net sampling, pitfall traps, soil sampling, and direct plant inspections. A total of 90 species of entomophagous and acariphagous arthropods were recorded, representing 2 classes, 10 orders, and 21 families. Insects (Insecta) constituted the majority of the identified species (94.4%), whereas arachnids (Arachnida) accounted for 5.6%. Coleoptera was the most species-rich order, comprising 41 species (45.5% of the total fauna), followed by Hymenoptera (16.7%) and Diptera (11.1%). Based on trophic specialization, predators represented the dominant functional group, accounting for 82.2% of the recorded species, while parasitoids comprised 16.7%. The rove beetle Aleochara bilineata Gyllenhal, 1810 exhibited a mixed trophic strategy, functioning as a predator in the adult stage and as a parasitoid during larval development. The results provide baseline information on the diversity and trophic composition of beneficial arthropods associated with onion and garlic crops in Uzbekistan and may contribute to the development of biologically based pest management strategies.

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