Alternative crops as floral resources for beneficial hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae).

Abstract

Alternative or novel crops may have a role to play in biocontrol as well as producing a useful crop. Studies on five alternative crops showed buckwheat and coriander were the two most preferred by two species of beneficial hoverfly. Reasons why the flies should favour these particular crops are discussed.
When coriander was sown around a field of winter wheat in an attempt to influence syrphid distribution between fields, it failed to significantly increase syrphid diversity or species numbers within that field, this is in contrast to more positive effects when other plant species have been used by co-workers.