Vegetation increases the abundance of natural enemies in vineyards

Non-crop areas can increase the abundance of natural invertebrate enemies on farmland and assist in invertebrate pest control, but the relative benefits of different types of vegetation are often unclear. Here, we investigated abundance of natural enemies in vineyards with edges consisting of different types of vegetation: remnant native forests, wooded margins planted after establishment of the crop (hereafter called shelterbelts), or pasture. Invertebrates were sampled four times using canopy sticky traps and ground level pitfall traps, replicated across two seasons at one of the sites. The distribution and abundance of natural enemies in relation to edges with adjacent vegetation or pasture were mapped by distance indices (SADIE) and compared with ANOVAs. There was a positive influence of adjacent wooded vegetation on staphylinids, predatory thrips, predatory mites, spiders, ladybird beetles and hymenopteran parasitoids including Trichogramma egg parasitoids in the canopy and/or at ground level, although there were significant differences among sites and groups of organisms. In contrast, pasture edges had no effect or a negative effect on numbers of natural enemies in vineyards. To directly assess potential beneficial effects of adjacent vegetation, predation and parasitism of eggs of a vineyard insect pest, Epiphyas postvittana Walker (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), was measured. Parasitism by Trichogramma was higher adjacent to remnant vegetation while predation was not affected. These results indicate that the abundance and distribution of vineyard natural enemies and parasitism of pest moth eggs is increased adjacent to edges with wooded vegetation, leading to beneficial effects for pest control. The conservation of remnant woodland and planting of shelterbelts around vineyards may therefore have direct economic benefits in terms of pest control, whereas non-crop pasture may not produce such benefits.     

Ground cover and floral resources in shelterbelts increase the abundance of beneficial hymenopteran families

相似文献   

The effects of soil tillage on beneficial invertebrates within the vineyard

1 Tillage, commonly used in agroecosystems, can influence the abundance of invertebrates through factors such as habitat change and food availability.
2 The effects of tillage on the composition and abundance of invertebrates were examined in a vineyard near Mildura in Victoria, Australia, focusing particularly on groups that might act as natural enemies in vineyards. We used pitfall traps at ground level and sticky traps in the canopy.
3 The collections were first sorted to order. Beetles (Coleoptera) were sorted to family and ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) to genus.
4 Ants were the only group to be affected by tillage when all months were considered. The same genera occurred in both treatments but the abundance of several genera was reduced by tillage. Families of several beetles, including predators, increased in tilled areas. Spider, millipede, centipede and earwig numbers were decreased by tillage. In the canopy, Trichogrammatidae and other parasitoids decreased in abundance after tillage.
5 These results indicate that tillage influences the composition of invertebrates and has the potential to negatively affect the abundance of beneficial groups.     

Is the Naturally Derived Insecticide Spinosad® Compatible with Insect Natural Enemies?

Spinosad® (Dow Agrosciences) is a neurotoxic insecticide produced by fermentation of an actinomycete. Spinosad is classified as an environmentally and toxicologically reduced risk material and has been embraced by IPM practitioners as a biorational pesticide. We examined the available information on the impact of spinosad on natural enemies and classified mortality responses to spinosad using the IOBC laboratory and field scales that run from 1 (harmless) to 4 (harmful). In total, there were 228 observations on 52 species of natural enemies, of which 162 involved predators (27 species) and 66 involved parasitoids (25 species). Overall, 71% (42/59) of laboratory studies and 79% (81/103) of field-type studies on predators gave a class 1 result (not harmful). Hymenopteran parasitoids are significantly more susceptible to spinosad than predatory insects with 78% (35/45) of laboratory studies and 86% (18/21) of field-type studies returning a moderately harmful or harmful result. Predators generally suffer insignificant sub-lethal effects following exposure to spinosad, whereas parasitoids often show sub-lethal effects including loss of reproductive capacity, reduced longevity, etc. All studies agree that spinosad residues degrade quickly in the field, with little residual toxicity at 3-7 days post-application. We also examined the importance of route of exposure, species-specific and stage-specific susceptibility and we make recommendations for future studies. We conclude that for conservation of predator populations, spinosad represents one of the most judicious insecticides available but the use of this product should be evaluated carefully in situations where conservation of parasitoid populations is of prime concern.     

Natural enemy responses and pest control: Importance of local vegetation

Natural invertebrate enemies on farmland may respond to local vegetation adjacent to the farmland. This can encourage individual landholders to maintain vegetation even when there are costs in terms of a reduction in crop area as well as maintenance of the vegetation. Here we investigated abundance of natural enemies in 61 vineyards from south eastern Australia, with either adjacent woody vegetation consisting of remnant native forests or wooded margins planted after establishment of the crop, or lacking in adjacent vegetation. Invertebrates were sampled five times at monthly intervals using canopy sticky traps. There was an increase in abundance of different groups of natural enemies when woody vegetation was present although these increases depended on size. Small natural enemies tended to be influenced by local features, whereas larger potentially more mobile groups were not affected. Predation of eggs of a vineyard insect pest, Epiphyas postvittana, was relatively higher in vineyards with either adjacent remnant forest or planted woody vegetation. Various types of local vegetation may therefore encourage a range of predators and parasitoids, increasing predation and control of a common vineyard pest.     

Response of natural populations of predators and parasitoids to artificially induced volatile emissions in maize plants (Zea mays L.)

1 In response to herbivore attack, maize plants (Zea mays L.) emit a specific blend of induced volatiles. Artificial damage and subsequent treatment of the damaged site with caterpillar regurgitant induces the same response. The induced volatile chemicals are known to be highly attractive to several parasitoids of herbivores in laboratory bioassays, but very limited information is available on how the plant odours affect entomophagous insects in the field. 2 Experiments were conducted to determine if induced maize volatiles attract parasitic and predatory insects under field conditions and whether they affect their spatial distribution. 3 In a preliminary field experiment with blue sticky traps near treated (damaged and treated with caterpillar regurgitant) and healthy plants, more entomophagous insects (total number of parasitic Hymenoptera, Anthocoridae and Syrphidae) were trapped near treated plants than near healthy plants. 4 In a second experiment, attraction to the induced volatiles was monitored with sticky traps placed next to treated and healthy maize plants in a regular maize field. No significant differences between the two treatments were found, but significantly more insects (parasitic wasps, thrips and anthocorid bugs) were trapped near to the top of plants than on traps placed near the mid‐stem. Displacement of these insect groups within the field seemed to occur principally over the canopy, but under severe weather conditions they travelled lower in the canopy. 5 In a third experiment, the effect of induced maize odours on the spatial distribution of predators and parasitoids was investigated by placing sticky traps at different distances from healthy and treated plants. The higher catches of parasitoids near treated plants and the increased presence of these insects on the downwind side of treated plants support the notion that herbivore‐induced maize odours attract natural enemies of maize pests in the field.     

Effects of mowing frequency on densities of natural enemies in three Pacific Northwest pear orchards

Effects of mowing frequency on ground cover composition and on numbers of predators, parasitoids, and select phytophagous arthropods in the ground cover of three reduced‐insecticide pear orchards were determined. Concurrent samples taken in the tree canopy (with beating trays) and in the herbicide strips on the orchard floor (with pitfall traps) tested whether counts of natural enemies in these two habitats were also affected by mowing regime. A reduction in frequency of mowing from two to three times per month (= control) to once per month or once per growing season led to increased cover of grasses, broadleaf plants, and broadleaf plants in flower. Sweep net samples of natural enemies in the ground cover were dominated numerically by spiders (Araneae), parasitic Hymenoptera, and predatory Heteroptera, with lesser numbers of other taxa (Syrphidae, Neuroptera, Coccinellidae). Predators and parasitoids showed substantial increases in numbers associated with decreased mowing frequency. Sweep net counts of aphids, Lygus spp. (Heteroptera: Miridae), and leafhoppers/planthoppers, all potential prey of predators, also increased significantly with decreased mowing frequency. In the pitfall samples, only the European earwig (Forficula auricularia L.) (Dermaptera: Forficulidae) exhibited a change in counts associated with mowing treatment; numbers of earwigs in pitfall traps declined as mowing frequency decreased. For the beat tray samples, mean tray counts for most natural enemy taxa were higher in the less frequently mowed plots, but significantly (P < 0.05) so only for two taxa: spiders and a predatory mirid, Deraeocoris brevis (Uhler) (Heteroptera: Miridae). It remains to be determined whether biological control of pests in the tree canopy can be enhanced by manipulating mowing frequency. Questions raised by this study include whether there is extensive movement by natural enemies between the ground cover and tree canopy, and whether plot size affects the likelihood of showing that mowing frequency influences predator densities in the tree canopy.     

Effect of flower traits and hosts on the abundance of parasitoids in perennial multiple species wildflower strips sown within oilseed rape (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica napus</Emphasis>) crops

Reducing the use of insecticides is an important issue for agriculture today. Sowing wildflower strips along field margins or within crops represents a promising tool to support natural enemy populations in agricultural landscapes and, thus, enhance conservation biological control. However, it is important to sow appropriate flower species that attract natural enemies efficiently. The presence of prey and hosts may also guide natural enemies to wildflower strips, potentially preventing them from migrating into adjacent crops. Here, we assessed how seven flower traits, along with the abundance of pollen beetles (Meligethes spp., Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) and true weevils (Ceutorhynchus spp., Coleoptera: Curculionidae), affect the density of parasitoids of these two coleopterans in wildflower strips sown in an oilseed rape field in Gembloux (Belgium). Only flower traits, not host (i.e. pollen beetles and true weevils) abundance, significantly affected the density of parasitoids. Flower colour, ultraviolet reflectance and nectar availability were the main drivers affecting parasitoids. These results demonstrate how parasitoids of oilseed rape pests react to flower cues under field conditions. Similar analyses on the pests and natural enemies of other crops are expected to help to develop perennial flower mixtures able to enhance biological control throughout a rotation system.     

Limited benefits of non-crop vegetation on spiders in Australian vineyards: regional or crop differences?

In crops, invertebrate natural enemies such as spiders have been documented as responding to non-crop vegetation at the local and landscape scales, particularly in northern Europe. Much of this information is based on data from arable or annual crops and it is possible that spider numbers in more persistent perennial systems including vineyards may be less dependent on non-crop vegetation. To test the relationship between spider abundance and non-crop vegetation within the context of Australian vineyards, we sampled spiders in 54 vineyards with adjacent non-crop vegetation, from three different regions. Landscape composition in the area surrounding each of the 54 sites was characterized at 11 spatial scales from 95?m to 3?km radius and spiders were sampled monthly using canopy sticky traps and ground pitfall traps. There were only weak relationships between pasture or woody vegetation and the abundance of spiders in vineyards at all spatial scales. At the local scale, abundance of most spider families tended to be greater in vineyards with adjacent pasture. At the landscape scale there were inconsistent patterns. We discuss possible reasons for these apparent contrasting patterns between perennial and annual crops and European compared to Australian agroecosystems.     

Effect of woody vegetation at the landscape scale on the abundance of natural enemies in Australian vineyards

Undisturbed vegetation within agricultural areas, especially woody vegetation, has been documented to enhance natural invertebrate enemies within adjacent crops, particularly in northern Europe. To test this idea within the context of Australian vineyards, we considered 44 landscapes from two regions, and sampled invertebrates in vineyards central to each landscape five times at monthly intervals using canopy sticky traps. Landscape composition was characterized at 11 spatial scales from 95 m to 3 km radius. We found only weak relationships between woody vegetation and the abundance of invertebrate groups including coccinellids at any spatial scale, regardless of whether the contribution of each scale was considered independently or together using a multiple regression approach. The only consistent pattern was that several families of parasitoids were influenced by woody vegetation at the landscape scale; the abundance of Eulophidae increased with woody vegetation in the landscape, while two families of smaller parasitoids, Trichogrammatidae and Mymaridae, were negatively affected by woody vegetation. We discuss possible reasons for these apparent contrasting patterns between Australian and European studies.     

Effects of ground cover (straw and compost) on the abundance of natural enemies and soil macro invertebrates in vineyards

1 Herbicides are commonly applied under grapevines in Australia to remove weeds and thereby to avoid water loss through transpiration. 2 Interest in sustainability promotes a reduction in chemical inputs, including herbicides, leading to trials with surface mulches to suppress weeds. 3 Surface mulches may also influence the abundance of a range of invertebrates. Potentially, an increase in natural enemies will contribute to pest control and encourage a reduction in pesticide application. 4 We used three trapping methods and direct soil sampling to assess invertebrates at ground level, in the canopy and in the soil to determine the influence of mulch on natural enemies, potential pests and soil macroinvertebrates, including earthworms. 5 Collections sorted to family demonstrated that the addition of straw or compost mulches increased natural enemies collected with pitfall traps and soil organisms. However, there was no clear indication of the overall superiority of either mulch. 6 Abundance of ground beetles, parasitoid Hymenoptera and spiders collected with pitfall traps were increased by the addition of mulches. In the canopy, predatory and parasitic Diptera and predatory Hemiptera increased after mulching. 7 Earthworms collected by hand sorting soil increased with straw mulching. 8 No influence on pests was detected. Although Lepidoptera and Sigmurethra, collected in pitfall traps, increased with straw mulching, neither included pest species. 9 The results are discussed with reference to the potential economic impact of mulches.     

Monitoring of wheat insects and their natural enemies using sticky traps in wheat

Beneficial arthropods and wheat insects were monitored using sticky traps through large-scale field in Saxony, Germany before and after insecticide applications. The tested compounds (Karate, Biscaya and NeemAzal T/S) were sprayed twice at Elongation stage (GS 32) and at the heading stage (GS 55). Monitoring was conducted for four weeks after each treatment. Cereal aphids, thrips, leafhoppers, cereal leaf beetles, cereal bugs and also many natural enemies such as predators (lady beetles, lacewings, syrphids, dance flies and spiders) and parasitoids (parasitic wasps) were surveyed. The results proved that Karate caused the highest per cent mortality to wheat insect pests. Karate also reduced natural enemy diversities. Biscaya and NeemAzal T/S is correlated with an equivalent mortality per cents to wheat insect pests and resulted in a smaller effects on natural enemies compared with Karate. Leafhoppers were less affected than Thrips and cereal bugs. Parasitoid wasps and spider were more tolerant, while lacewings and dance flies were more susceptible to insecticide effects. Finally, natural insecticides and predators and parasitoids could be highly compatible with a hygienic environment.     

Effects of pirimicarb, dimethoate and benomyl on natural enemies of cereal aphids in winter wheat

The insecticides, pirimicarb and dimethoate are commonly applied to cereal crops in the UK and when this study was begun the fungicide benomyl was also regularly used. The effects of these chemicals on natural enemies of cereal aphids were examined in replicated plots of winter wheat. Benomyl did not affect any of the groups examined but it was applied early in the season (April/May) when most natural enemies were few or absent from the crop. Numbers of carabid beetles, staphylinid beetles and spiders, sampled using pitfall traps and a vacuum net sampler, were all reduced by dimethoate but not by pirimicarb, although these effects were only detected by pitfall traps when the small plots were surrounded by polyethylene barriers to prevent inter-plot movements. Parasitic Hymenoptera were decreased by both insecticides, partly due to direct toxicity and partly to host removal. Data on the aphid predators, Coccinellidae, Syrphidae and Chrysopidae were inconclusive because there were very few in the crop due to the scarcity of aphids. Ways in which pesticides can affect natural enemy populations other than by direct mortality and the dangers associated with routine, prophylactic pesticide applications are discussed.     

Non-additive effects of multiple natural enemies on aphid populations

The question of whether multiple natural enemies often interact to produce lower host mortality than single enemies acting alone has not yet been resolved. We compared the effects of four different combinations of natural enemies-parasitoids, predators, parasitoids plus predators, and no enemies-on caged aphid populations on marsh elder, Iva frutescens, in west-central Florida. Using starting densities of natural enemies commonly found in the field, we showed that parasitoid wasps reduced aphid population densities more than predatory ladybird beetles. The addition of predators to cages containing parasites reduced the ability of parasitoids to decrease aphid population densities. Because the experiments ran only over the course of one generation, such a reduction in the effectiveness of parasites is likely caused by interference of predators with parasitoid behavior. Parasitism in the cages containing both parasitoids and predators was reduced when compared to percent parasitism in parasitoid-only cages, but this could also be due to predation. Our experiments showed that ladybird beetles prey on parasitized aphids. Thus over the long-term, the effectiveness of parasites is impaired by the interference of predators on ovipositing parasitoids and by the predation of parasitized aphids. The effects of natural enemies in this system are clearly non-additive.     

Reduced-risk insecticides for control of grape berry moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and conservation of natural enemies

A 3-yr field study was conducted at commercial grape (Vitis spp.) farms to evaluate insect management programs for control of the grape berry moth, Paralobesia viteana Clemens (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and conservation of natural enemies. At each farm, one vineyard received only reduced-risk insecticides for control of second and third generation P. viteana, whereas the comparison vineyard received conventional insecticides. Both vineyards received a conventional insecticide application for control of first generation P. viteana and other insect pests. Monitoring with pheromone traps showed no differences between programs in the total number of adult male moths trapped in vineyards, and oviposition by P. viteana was similar between the two programs in all 3 yr. During weekly samples of crop infestation, both programs had a similar percentage of clusters infested by P. viteana larvae. Berries infested by P. viteana were collected from vineyard borders during the second and third P. viteana generations and held under controlled conditions. In eight of the nine berry samples, survival of larvae was significantly lower in berries collected from vineyards managed under the reduced-risk insecticide program compared with the conventional program. Parasitism of P. citeana larvae in these samples was not consistently different between the two insecticide programs over 3 yr, and similar captures of natural enemies were found on yellow sticky traps in the two programs throughout the study. Our results indicate that integrated pest management programs incorporating reduced-risk insecticides for control of P. viteana can obtain similar or greater control of P. viteana compared with programs based solely on conventional insecticides, but they may not lead to measurable long-term increases in parasitism of P. viteana.     

Current and potential management strategies against Harmonia axyridis

This paper reviews the current and potential methods to control the harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), an Asian predatory beetle invasive in Europe and the Americas where it has become a human nuisance, a grape and wine pest and a threat to native biodiversity. Current methods to manage this invasive species include: techniques to mechanically prevent adult beetles from entering buildings in autumn or to remove aggregates of beetles inside buildings, e.g. using various trapping methods; the use of insecticides on buildings or in vineyards to prevent aggregation in houses or on grapes; cultivation practices in vineyards to lower the impact of the ladybird on grape production and wine quality; remedial treatments for wine tainted by the ladybird. Other methods are presently being developed or considered. Semiochemicals could be used as deterrents or as attractants to develop more efficient trapping systems in buildings and open fields. Natural enemies include pathogens, parasitoids, predators and a parasitic mite but few of them show potential as biological control agents. While management methods presently used or under development may eventually solve the problems caused by beetles aggregating in buildings or vineyards, the issue of H. axyridis populations outcompeting native species is much more challenging. Only the sudden adaptation of a native natural enemy or the importation of a natural enemy from the area of origin of the ladybird may ultimately lower population densities. The problems linked to the importation of an Asian natural enemy of H. axyridis are discussed.     

The impact of sulfur on the reproductive success of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anagrus</Emphasis> spp. parasitoids in the field

Pesticides targeted at pest species have often been demonstrated to have strong adverse effects on the survival of biological control agents in short-term laboratory bioassays; however, studies examining the influence of pesticides on the actual reproductive success of biological control agents in the field are rare. Because natural enemy reproduction is often directly tied to biological control success, effects of pesticides on reproduction are of central importance. Here we use a new technique to examine the influence of sulfur, a fungicide widely used in grape production, on the reproductive success of Anagrus erythroneurae (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) and Anagrus daanei (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), egg parasitoids of the grape leafhopper, Erythroneura elegantula (Homoptera: Cicadellidae). Sulfur has previously been shown to be highly toxic to Anagrus spp. in short-term laboratory and field bioassays, creating the expectation that sulfur should also reduce Anagrus reproductive success in the field. Surprisingly, in two studies, the first comparing the oviposition success of Anagrus collected live in paired sulfur-treated versus untreated vineyards and the second comparing the lifetime reproductive success of Anagrus collected at the end of their lives in unpaired sulfur-treated versus untreated vineyards, we found no effect of sulfur on parasitoid reproductive success. In this system, traditional short-term assays of laboratory toxicity do not appear to predict effects on parasitoid reproductive success, suggesting that demographic approaches to assessing the disruptive effects of pesticides may have an important role in designing IPM programs.     

Natural enemies act faster than endophytic fungi in population control of cereal aphids

1. Fast-growing populations of phytophagous insects can be limited by the presence of natural enemies and by alkaloids that are produced by symbiotic associations of many temperate grass species with endophytic fungi. It is unclear if and how acquired plant defences derived from endophytic fungi interact with natural enemies to affect phytophagous insect populations. 2. To assess the relative importance of endophytic fungi compared to that of natural enemies on the population dynamics of phytophagous insects, we carried out a fully factorial field experiment, in which the presence of natural enemies and the presence of endophytic fungi were manipulated simultaneously. Target colonies of aphids were monitored for 8 weeks starting from their natural appearance in the field to the end of the aphid season. 3. We show that on Lolium perenne increased natural enemy densities reduced the individual numbers of two common cereal aphids, Rhopalosiphum padi and Metopolophium festucae. 4. The presence of the endophytic fungi Neotyphodium lolii reduced the number of M. festucae but did not affect the number of R. padi. The reduction in R. padi numbers by predators and parasitoids was not influenced by the presence of endophytes. For adult M. festucae, however, the negative effects of natural enemies were significant only in the absence of endophytes. 5. Over the duration of the experiment, the effect of natural enemies on aphid colony growth was much stronger than the effect of the endophytic fungi N. lolii, presumably because predator and parasitoid action on aphid colonies is much faster than any effects of endophytes. 6. Our results demonstrate that with simultaneous action of acquired endosymbionts and natural enemies, both factors can control aphid colony growth but they generally act independently of each other.     

Experimental analysis of the influence of pest management practice on the efficacy of an endemic arthropod natural enemy complex of the diamondback moth

Maximizing the contribution of endemic natural enemies to integrated pest management (IPM), programs requires a detailed knowledge of their interactions with the target pest. This experimental field study evaluated the impact of the endemic natural enemy complex of Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) on pest populations in commercial cabbage crops in southeastern Queensland, Australia. Management data were used to score pest management practices at experimental sites on independent Brassica farms practicing a range of pest management strategies, and mechanical methods of natural enemy exclusion were used to assess the impact of natural enemies on introduced cohorts of P. xylostella at each site. Natural enemy impact was greatest at sites adopting IPM and least at sites practicing conventional pest management strategies. At IPM sites, the contribution of natural enemies to P. xylostella mortality permitted the cultivation of marketable crops with no yield loss but with a substantial reduction in insecticide inputs. Three species of larval parasitoids (Diadegma semiclausum Hellén [Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae], Apanteles ippeus Nixon [Hymenoptera: Braconidae], and Oomyzus sokolowskii Kurdjumov [Hymenoptera: Eulophidae]) and one species of pupal parasitoid Diadromus collaris Gravenhorst (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) attacked immature P. xylostella. The most abundant groups of predatory arthropods caught in pitfall traps were Araneae (Lycosidae) > Coleoptera (Carabidae, Coccinelidae, Staphylinidae) > Neuroptera (Chrysopidae) > Formicidae, whereas on crop foliage Araneae (Clubionidae, Oxyopidae) > Coleoptera (Coccinelidae) > Neuroptera (Chrysopidae) were most common. The abundance and diversity of natural enemies was greatest at sites that adopted IPM, correlating greater P. xylostella mortality at these sites. The efficacy of the natural enemy complex to pest mortality under different pest management regimes and appropriate strategies to optimize this important natural resource are discussed.     

Biodiversity analysis of natural arthropods enemies in vineyard agroecosystems in La Rioja,Spain

Major knowledge gaps exist regarding effects of landscape-level agroecosystem composition on the presence of natural enemies of agricultural pests. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of landscape mosaic characteristics on the diversity of predators and parasitoids of a viticultural landscape in La Rioja, Spain. Five habitats were evaluated: Mediterranean forest, Mediterranean scrub, olive groves, natural grassland, and vineyards. In all, we collected 28,640 arthropods, representing 10 orders: Araneae, Coleoptera, Dermaptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Mantodea, Neuroptera, Solifugae, and Thysanoptera. The grassland habitat presented the highest arthropod abundances. Carabid beetles showed preferences for Mediterranean forest and scrub, whereas reduviid bugs showed preferences for natural grassland. Landscape heterogeneity and connectivity with natural elements in the study area turn out to be effective in conservation of diversity of natural enemies of viticulture.