Ecological Features of Biotic Relationships among Insects in Agrobiocenoses

Abstract

This article analyses the species composition, ecological characteristics and mutual biotic relationships of arthropods, in particular phytophagous and entomophagous insects, found in the cotton agrobiocenosis in the lower reaches of the Zarafshan River. The importance of predation, parasitism and other biological relationships among organisms in agroecosystems for protecting plants from insect pests is described. As a result of the research, 63 species of arthropods belonging to 13 orders, 29 families and 54 genera were identified in the cotton agrobiocenosis, of which 31 species are phytophages and 32 species are entomophages. The influence of anthropogenic factors, the expansion of irrigation networks and changes in the composition of crop areas on phytophages, including the distribution and population dynamics of the cotton bollworm, is assessed. The prospects of using natural entomophages and environmentally safe microbiological preparations in the biological control of pest numbers are also considered.