DOI: 10.5061/dryad.wwpzgmsvf
title: Data from: Temporal snapshot of parasitoid wasp communities on three flowering plant species and implications for the regulation of the rosy apple aphid (Dysaphis plantaginea) in apple orchards

description: Parasitoid wasps contribute to biological control services. Parasitoid
 adults are highly dependent on sugar-rich resources. Adding flowering
 plants providing nectar in crop fields promotes parasitoid wasps, but not
 always pest parasitism because addition of flowering plants may attract
 parasitoid species that are not directly involved in the control of crop
 pests. Here, in a factorial experiment conducted for one year in
 pesticide-free orchards, we analysed the effects of three common plant
 species (Capsella bursa-pastoris Medik., Veronica persica Poir. and Vicia
 sativa L.) in association with apple trees on parasitoid wasp recruitment
 and parasitism of one major apple pest, Dysaphis plantaginea (Passerini).
 We combined morphological and molecular identification to characterise the
 parasitoid communities associated with each plant species. Parasitoid
 communities were different between plant species. Plant effect on the
 abundance of the parasitoid wasps did not depend on the amount of floral
 resources provided by the tested plants. Over the whole season, the
 parasitoid wasp species Ephedrus persicae (Froggatt) and Aphidius
 matricariae (Haliday) involved in D. plantaginea parasitism accounted for
 6% of the total parasitoid abundance and were mainly associated with V.
 persica plots. We observed a higher parasitism rate in apple trees
 associated with V. persica and a lower number of aphid colonies in apple
 trees associated with V. sativa. Hoverver, plant treatments had no effect,
 neither on the abundance of D. plantaginea in apple trees, nor on
 generalist predators and ants observed in aphid colonies in agreement with
 their limited implication in the aphid regulation.
description: In a factorial experiment conducted for one year in
 pesticide-free orchards, we analysed the effects of three common plant
 species (<em>Capsella bursa-pastoris</em> Medik.,
 <em>Veronica persica </em>Poir. and <em>Vicia
 sativa</em> L.) in association with apple trees on flower visitors
 abundance, natural enemies abundance, parasitoid wasp recruitment and
 <em>Dysaphis plantaginea </em>parasitism.
description: # Temporal snapshot of parasitoid wasp communities on three flowering
 plant species and implications for the regulation of the rosy apple aphid
 (Dysaphis plantaginea) in apple orchards
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.wwpzgmsvf](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.wwpzgmsvf) ## Description of the data and file structure In a factorial experiment conducted for one year in pesticide-free orchards, we analysed the effects of three common plant species (Capsella bursa-pastoris Medik., Veronica persica Poir. and Vicia sativa L.) in association with apple trees on flower visitors abundance, natural enemies abundance, parasitoid wasp recruitment and *Dysaphis plantaginea* parasitism. The data are divided into 5 datasets (observations and sampling on the flowering plant plots, observations on the apple trees associated with the flowering plant plots and on the control trees, observations of damaged apples at the end of the sampling sessions, identification of the parasitoids collected on the flowering plant plots at family level and identification at genus level for Braconidae). ### Files and variables #### File 1 : flower\_plots\_observations\_laffon\_afe\_2024.csv *Observations and samplings on the flowering plant plots, under apple trees.* ##### Variables Cultivar : The experiment was carried out in two orchards. The first included apple trees of the Ariane variety and the second included apple trees of the Gala and Granny varieties. Bloc : Eight blocks were established to account for the spatial heterogeneity of the orchards, including apple varieties and distances from hedgerows. The blocks are named: B, C, D, E, H, J, M and O. id_patch : Each block consists of four experimental patches, one per modality. A patch consists of two trees surrounded by flowering plants or bare soil (control patches). For example, in block B, the patch identifiers (id_patch) are B1, B2, B3 and B4. Treatment : three flowering plant species were tested as different plant treatments using bare soil as comparison. VPER : Veronica persica VSAT : Vicia sativa CBUR : Capsella bursa-pastoris BARE_SOIL : negative control session 1 : mid-April (4/6/22) 2 : late April (4/22/22) 3 : early May (5/5/22) 4 : mid-May (5/19/22) 5 : early June (6/3/22) floral_units_m2 : Number of floral units/m2. Individual flowers of *V. persica *and *V. sativa* and the number of inflorescences of *C. bursa-pastoris *were counted since *C. bursa-pastoris* flowers were much smaller than those of *V. persica *and *V. sativa*. extrafloral_nectaries_m2 : Number of extrafloral nectaries/m2 (only for *V. sativa*). NA values indicate that the flowering plants have no extrafloral nectaries (*V. persica* and *C. bursa-pastoris*). hoverflies : Number of hoverflies (visual observation, 5 min/plot) parasitoid_wasps_visual_count: Number of parasitoid wasps (visual observation, 5 min/plot) honeybees : Number of honeybees (visual observation, 5 min/plot). NA values indicate that the number of honeybees could not be estimate (e.g insects moving to fast). wild_bees : Number of wild bees (visual observation, 5 min/plot) butterflies : Number of butterflies (visual observation, 5 min/plot) other_flies : Number of other Diptera (visual observation, 5 min/plot) other_arthropods : Number of other arthropods (visual observation, 5 min/plot) parastoid_wasps_handnet : Number of parasitoid wasps collected with a sweep net (4 sweeps per plot). NA value indicate that the number of parasitoid wasp could not be estimate (e.g damaged sample). hoverflies_handnet: Number of hoverflies collected with sweep net (4 sweeps per plot) other_arthropods_handnet : Number of other arthropods collected with sweep net (4 sweeps per plot). #### File 2 : apple\_trees\_observations\_laffon\_afe\_2024.csv *Observations of rosy apple aphids (RAA) and natural enemies (predators and parasitism) on apple trees associated with flowering plant plots or bare soil* **Variables** Cultivar : The experiment was carried out in two orchards. The first included apple trees of the Ariane variety and the second included apple trees of the Gala and Granny varieties. Bloc : Eight blocks were established to account for the spatial heterogeneity of the orchards, including apple varieties and distances from hedgerows. The blocks are named: B, C, D, E, H, J, M and O. id_patch : Each block consists of four experimental patches, one per modality. A patch consists of two trees surrounded by flowering plants or bare soil (control patches). For example, in block B, the patch identifiers (id_patch) are B1, B2, B3 and B4. Treatment : three flowering plant species were tested as different plant treatments using bare soil as comparison. VPER : Veronica persica VSAT : Vicia sativa CBUR : Capsella bursa-pastoris BARE_SOIL : negative control session\ 1 : mid-April (4/6/22) 2 : late April (4/22/22) 3 : early May (5/5/22) 4 : mid-May (5/19/22) 5 : early June (6/3/22) hoverfly_eggs : mean number of hoverfly eggs per apple tree per plot hoverfly_larvae : mean number of hoverfly larvae per apple tree per plot hoverfly_pupae : mean number of hoverfly pupae per apple tree per plot hoverfly_adults : mean number of adult hoverflies per apple tree per plot ladybird_eggs : mean number of ladybird eggs per apple tree per plot ladybird_larvae : mean number of ladybird larvae per apple tree per plot laybird_pupae : mean number of ladybird pupae per apple tree per plot ladybird_adults : mean number of adult ladybird per apple tree per plot bugs : mean number of bugs (Miridae and Anthocoridae) per apple tree per plot lacewing_eggs : mean number of lacewing eggs per apple tree per plot lacewing_larvae : mean number of lacewing larvae per apple tree per plot lacewing_adults : mean number of adult lacewings per apple tree per plot earwigs_larvae : mean number of earwig larvae per apple tree per plot earwigs_adult : mean number of adult earwigs per apple tree per plot spiders : mean number of spiders per apple tree per plot other_predators : mean number of other arthropods per apple tree per plot estimated_RAA_number_per_tree : mean number of rosy apple aphids (RAA, *D. plantaginea*) per apple tree per plot. NA values indicate that the number of RAA could not be estimated (e.g. empty marked colony). RAA_colonies : number of RAA colonies per tree ant_occurence : 0 or 1, per tree #### File 3 : damages\_laffon\_afe\_2024.csv *The proportion of apples presenting aphid damage was measured at the end of June, by counting the number of distorted apples and the total number of apples on each tree of the monitored plots.* **Variables** apples_per_tree : Total apple number per tree apples_ground : Number of apples on the ground distorted_apples : Number of distorted apples (i.e. RAA damages) #### File 4 : parasitoid\_families\_laffon\_afe\_2024.csv Identification of parasitoid wasps collected on flowering plots (family level). #### File 5 : braconidae\_genus\_laffon\_afe\_2024.csv Identification of parasitoid wasps belonging to the family Braconidae (genus level).