An Updated Checklist of Tri-Trophic Associations of Aphidophagous Predatory Arthropods in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, India
Rajendra Singh
*
Department of Zoology, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India;
Ramesh Chander Bhagat
Department of Zoology, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, P.O. Box No. 81, G.P.O., Residency Road, Srinagar, Kashmir, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Anmol Singh
Department of Zoology, St. Andrew’s College, Gorakhpur, U.P., India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The study provides a detailed synthesis of aphidophagous predators and their tri-trophic associations with aphids and host plants in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, enhancing understanding of predator–prey–plant dynamics in the western Himalaya. Diverse predator taxa from multiple arthropod orders were documented, reflecting high ecological richness and complexity. Eight spider species across five families preyed mainly on Aphis pomi and Brevicoryne brassicae, while Chlaenius panagaeoides (Carabidae) fed on Aphis craccivora. Two chrysomelid beetles showed facultative aphidophagy. Coccinellids were the most diverse group, comprising 37 species associated with 70 aphids and numerous host plants, forming 492 tri-trophic associations. Other key predators included Aphidoletes aphidimyza (Cecidomyiidae), Leucopis sp. (Chamaemyiidae), and 15 syrphid species forming 113 associations. Three anthocorid bugs, two chrysopid lacewings, and one hemerobiid lacewing also contributed to aphid control. In Ladakh, four predator species from Syrphidae, Anthocoridae, and Chrysopidae formed 16 associations with 13 aphids and nine host plants. Dipterans, especially Syrphidae, Chamaemyiidae, and Cecidomyiidae, dominated the predator guild, with Episyrphus balteatus, Eupeodes confrater, Leucopis sp., and Aphidoletes aphidimyza exhibiting broad prey ranges. Among Neuroptera, Chrysoperla zastrowi sillemi was highly polyphagous, associated with 24 aphid species and 32 host plants. Major aphid pests such as Aphis craccivora, Aphis gossypii, Aphis pomi, Aphis punicae, Brevicoryne brassicae, Chromaphis juglandicola, Eriosoma lanigerum, Lipaphis erysimi, and Myzus persicae supported the highest predator diversity. The study highlights the ecological importance of syrphids and lacewings in aphid suppression and their value in sustainable pest management. The compiled checklist provides a vital reference for biodiversity monitoring, trophic web analysis, and developing region-specific IPM strategies, while highlighting the need to conserve these beneficial predators under changing climatic and agricultural conditions.
Keywords: Aphidophagous, biological control, checklist, conservation, Araneae, Coleopterans, Dipterans, Hemipterans, Neuropterans, tri-trophic associations, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh