Bioecological Characteristics of Bronze Beetles (Cetoniinae) In Fruit Orchards

Аннотация

This article presents research conducted on the bioecology and occurrence levels of bronze-colored beetles in pome fruit orchards under the conditions of Tashkent and Samarkand regions. The study analyzes the occurrence of bronze beetles during the flowering and fruit set periods of different varieties of apple, pear, and quince trees, comparing results across both regions. Based on the obtained data, practical suggestions and recommendations for production have been developed. Keywords: Pome fruit orchards, flower, bronze beetle, damage, species composition, apple, pear, quince, vegetation, occurrence level. anthophagous species cause harm by feeding on Introduction: Bronze beetles belong to the order flowers and reproductive organs of living plants [1; pp. Coleoptera, family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Cetoniinae, 1–3]. tribe Cetoniini. There are over 1,000 species of bronze beetles, with 390 species found in the Ethiopian region, METHODS 298 in Indo-China, 149 in the Palearctic, 49 in the To identify bronze beetle species in fruit orchards, Nearctic, 31 in the Neotropics, and 20 in the Australian standard entomological methods were used, including region. Although many species of this tribe occur in the identification keys by T.Ye. Osmolovsky and others, as Ethiopian and Indo-Chinese regions, the Palearctic well as literature by S.I. Medvedev [1964]. region also offers a favorable environment for the For collecting beetles from orchards, 10 model fruit development and distribution of Cetoniini beetles, trees were selected on a 1-hectare area, marked with covering a large area [2; pp. 27–28]. tags, and monitored. Beetles were collected by shaking According to other sources, there are around 2,700 the branches of sample trees during early morning or species of bronze beetles globally, with more than two- cloudy weather when the temperature ranged thirds distributed in Africa and tropical Asia. In the CIS between 8–12°C. The sampling began two weeks after countries, approximately 50 species have been bud burst. The average number of beetles was recorded [3; pp. 328–330]. calculated mathematically from collected samples. In agrobiocenoses of fruit orchards, bronze beetles are Additionally, seasonal field observations were among the chewing pests that damage flowers and conducted in spring and summer [4; pp. 206–210; 5; pp. fruits of crops belonging to 15 different plant families 509–510]. and about 50 crop species [3; pp. 328–330; 9; pp. 104– To assess the damage caused by bronze beetles, during 107]. Based on their feeding behavior, they are the vegetation period, 10 model trees per hectare were phytophagous insects, and within this group, selected. On each tree, 40 clusters of flowers, young American Journal Of Agriculture And Horticulture Innovations 20 https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajahi American Journal Of Agriculture And Horticulture Innovations (ISSN: 2771-2559) fruits, and mature fruits from four directions were beetle), it was found at moderate levels in apple examined for pest damage. The data were summarized orchards in both Tashkent and Samarkand. In pear and the average damage level calculated [4; pp. 206– orchards, it was dominant in Tashkent and moderately 210; 5; pp. 509–510]. present in Samarkand. In quince orchards, its occurrence was moderate in both regions.