FAUNA OF TRUE BUGS (HEMIPTERA: HETEROPTERA) OF PINE CROPS OF DIFFERENT AGES IN THE OAK-DARK CONIFEROUS FOREST SUBZONE OF BELARUS

Abstract

True bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) play a significant role in forest ecosystems and are widespread in pine forests, which in Belarus are mainly represented by artificial plantations of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). The study of the structure of their communities in pine crops of different ages was carried out on the territory of the Dokshitsy district of the Vitebsk region, which is part of the oak-dark coniferous forest subzone within the Eurasian coniferous forest geobotanical region. A total of 2,418 true bugs specimens belonging to 141 species from 95 genera and 19 families were counted in pine crops of varying age classes The basis of the community of true bugs in pine cultures of different ages in the studied region was made up of representatives of the families Miridae, Lygaeidae and Pentatomidae — more than half of all identified species. It is established that the species composition and dominance structure changes depending on the age of pine crops. The largest number of true bugs species was found in open forest stands of Scots pine, and the smallest number was found in pine crops of age class III. Among all the species recorded, the most common were Kleidocerys resedae (Panzer, 1793), Aradus cinnamomeus Panzer, 1806 and Dolycoris baccarum (Linnaeus, 1758).The highest values of the Jaccard similarity coefficient were obtained when analyzing true bugs communities in pine crops of age classes II and III, and the lowest — in pine crops of age classes I and II. Potentially economically significant species were identified — topically and trophically related to Scots pine.