Evaluating the Influence of Trap Type and Crop Phenological Stage on Insect Population Diversity in Mediterranean...

The relationship between insect diversity and crop production has been of continuous scientific interest. Understanding insect community dynamics using various sampling and monitoring methods at different crop phenology stages is crucial for enhancing pest management and ecosystem service functioning. The present study assessed the influence of four trap types (Blue, Yellow, White, and Malaise) applied at four tomato developmental stages (start of planting, flowering, flowering fruit development and harvest) on insect diversity in northeastern Tunisian open-field conditions. A total of 1771 insect individuals belonging to seven orders and 31 families were trapped, with the order Hymenoptera being the most common in the sampled plots, which was represented by 25 families. Trap type exerted a strong effect on both abundance and alpha diversity parameters. Yellow pan traps showed the highest diversity, with family richness (S) ranging from 1 to 16, Shannon diversity (H) reaching 2.54, Simpson (Is) diversity ranging from 0.72 to 0.90 and Pielou's evenness (J) ranging from 0.83 to 0.98. Blue and white traps displayed intermediate diversity (Blue: S = 6 and H = 1.7; White: S = 7 and H = 1.6), while Malaise traps captured the least diverse assemblages (S = 4, H = 1.2 and Is = 0.65). These differences were highly significant (p < 0.05). Phenological stage significantly structured Hymenoptera diversity. Richness peaked at the start of planting (S = 1-16 and H up to 2.54) and declined sharply at harvest (S = 1-6). Pollinator families (Apidae, Halictidae, Megachilidae) were the most abundant during flowering, whereas parasitoid families (Braconidae, Eulophidae) dominated during the fruit development stage. Beta diversity analyses (NMDS, stress = 0.25) and PERMANOVA showed that trap type and phenological stage jointly explained 15.5% of the variation in community composition (R² = 0.155, p = 0.014). Although a strong taxonomic overlap among traps was observed, Indicator Value analysis revealed significant trap-specific associations, including the family Andrenidae with Blue traps and the family Scoliidae with White and Yellow traps. Overall, the results of the present study demonstrate that both trap type and crop phenology significantly influence insect population diversity. A multi-trap sampling strategy combining colored pan traps and Malaise traps could be recommended to accurately characterize insect communities and associated ecosystem services in Mediterranean open-field tomato systems.