Storage-associated insect communities in hazelnuts: species, diversity patterns, and ecological implications†

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Entomology
• Stored Product Entomology
• Ecology

Background:

• Türkiye's Eastern Black Sea region is a major global hazelnut supplier, making stored product protection critical.
• Pest infestations in stored hazelnuts can significantly impact quality and economic value.
• Limited research exists on the specific pest complexes and their ecological interactions within stored hazelnut ecosystems in this key region.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively assess the diversity and composition of insect pests and their natural enemies in stored hazelnuts.
• To investigate the influence of different storage types and locations on pest community structure.
• To provide insights for developing effective integrated pest management (IPM) strategies for stored hazelnuts.

Main Methods:

• Sampling of 174 stored hazelnut batches across industrial, merchant, and producer storage units in Ordu, Giresun, and Trabzon provinces.
• Identification of 21 pest species, including key pests like Plodia interpunctella and Tribolium confusum, and natural enemies such as Habrobracon hebetor.
• Analysis of insect community structure using biodiversity metrics (Simpson D, Shannon-Wiener H', Whittaker β) in relation to spatial and storage factors.

Main Results:

• Eleven confirmed hazelnut pest species were identified, with Plodia interpunctella being the most widespread.
• Natural enemies, including parasitoids and predatory mites, were found, with Habrobracon hebetor being most frequent.
• Species richness was highest in industrial facilities, and storage in bigbags/jute sacks showed greater diversity than bulk storage.

Conclusions:

• Storage practices significantly shape insect biodiversity, pest composition, and predator-prey dynamics in stored hazelnuts.
• Findings highlight the importance of storage conditions for pest management and offer a basis for ecological understanding of storage environments.
• This research provides critical data for optimizing integrated pest management programs for stored hazelnuts in a globally important production region.