To the study of arachnids (Arachnida) – entomophages of lepidoptera pests of apple trees in the south-east of Kazakhstan

Abstract

Nowadays, 81 species and 56 genera of arachnids belonging to 4 orders (Pseudoscorpionida, Trombidiformes, Opiliones and Aranei) and 19 families have been recorded in apple orchards of southeastern Kazakhstan. The order of spiders (Aranei) is dominant in diversity – 16 families, 54 genera and 73 species, the remaining orders include one family and 1-2 genera and species. According to the number of genera and species, the Araneidae family is dominant – 11 species and 9 genera. It is followed by the families Thomisidae (9 genera and 10 species), Salticidae (8 genera and 9 species), Lycosidae (5 genera and 9 species), Philodromidae (4 genera and 9 species), Theridiidae (3 genera and 5 species) and Gnaphosidae (4 genera and 4 species). Other families are represented by 1-2 genera and species. In general, the fauna of arachnid apple plantations, in which chemical pesticide treatments are used, is much more depleted (by 2 or more times) compared to gardens without such treatments and natural biotopes. Data on the consumption of pest caterpillars by different types of spiders in laboratory maintenance are given. Amaurobius erberi (Keyserling, 1863) ate up to 10 caterpillars of the codling moth Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus, 1758) or up to 5 caterpillars of the clouded drab Orthosia incerta (Hufnagel, 1766) per day. Steatoda paykulliana (Walckenaer, 1806) destroyed an average of 5 caterpillars of the codling moth or 3 caterpillars of the clouded drab per day. Smaller species, such as Diaea suspiciosa O.P.-Cambridge, 1885, Xysticus pseudocristatus Azarkina & Logunov, 2001 and Evarcha arcuata (Clerck, 1758), ate 2-3 caterpillars per day. For the first time in the apple orchard, the spider Olios sericeus (Kroneberg, 1875) was recorded, in Kazakhstan this species was previously noted as synanthropic.