Populations of agricultural pest insects in Pacific Northwest irrigated agroecosystems are increased by the improper establishment and maintenanace of riparian buffers adjacent to ephemeral creeks that can serve as habitat corridors. Exotic species of plants persisting in degraded riparian buffers are serving as better hosts to problematic species of arthropods then are native plant species. In contrast, populations of some beneficial arthropods including spiders and Carabid beetles increase in the presence of several exotic plant species. Arthropod and vegetation surveys conducted in representative riparian buffers adjacent to apple orchards and grape vineyards have determined trends in associations between pest and beneficial arthropods and the species of plants they persist on. Pending regulations that may arise from the Endangered Species and Clean Water Acts necessitate these studies. Knowledge of insect plant associations when re-habilitating degraded riparian buffers will enable land owners/ growers to establish plant species that are more likely to host beneficial predacious arthropods, and less likely to serve as hosts to pest insects.
Species 1: Heteroptera Lygaeidae Lygus hesperus (Lygus bug)
Keywords: riparian buffers, plant-insect interactions
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