Natural enemies feeding on some Centaurea species in the Yüksekova basin

Background: Excessive and unconscious use of pesticides in agricultural areas negatively affects ecosystem services and biodiversity and threatens human and environmental health. Therefore, natural enemies (biological control agents) that could be utilized to suppress the infestation of diseases, pests and weeds have attracted the attention of scientists globally. There are limited studies on the occurrence of natural enemies on Centaurea species in the Yüksekova basin, Turkey. The Yuksekova basin has a rich floristic diversity; however, remained unexplored and underutilized. Limited use of pesticides, and the presence of natural enemies feeding on weeds in the region have recently attracted the attention of researchers for searching biological control agents. Asteraceae is the dominant family in the region with the highest diversity, causing significant yield losses in agricultural area of the basin. Methods: Therefore, preliminary studies were conducted to determine the natural enemies feeding on the genus Centaurea. The region was divided into 10 × 10 cm systematic grids and occurrence of Centaurea species, and their natural enemies were recorded. Results: The survey identified 10 species belonging to Centaurea genus in the study area. Different insect species, i.e., Lixus pulverulentus Scopoli, Larinus grisescens Gyllenhal and Bangasternus orientalis Capiomont belonging to Curculionidae (Coleoptera) family were observed to feed and spend biological periods on Centaurea behen L., Centaurea pterocaula Trautv. and Centaurea iberica Trev. ex Spreng species. Conclusions: It is estimated that the natural enemies recorded on Centaurea species could be potentially used in biological control of the species on which they were recorded in the current study. However, detailed studies on host specificity and efficacy of the identified insect species are needed.