An Updated Checklist of Tri-Trophic Associations of Aphidophagous Diptera and Neuroptera in Different Districts of Uttarakhand, India

Abstract

Tritrophic interactions among host plants, aphids, and their natural enemies form the foundation of ecological balance and biological control in agroecosystems. While plants provide resources for aphids, these pests inflict damage through phloem feeding and the transmission of plant viruses. In turn, a diverse guild of predators—including coccinellids, lacewings, syrphids, spiders, mites, hemipteran bugs, earwigs, and thrips—plays a pivotal role in regulating aphid populations. Documenting such interactions is vital for elucidating biodiversity patterns, food-web architecture, and identifying effective natural enemies for integrated pest management. The present study assembles a detailed checklist of tri-trophic associations involving aphidophagous flies (Diptera) and lacewings (Neuroptera), their aphid prey, and host plants in Uttarakhand, India. Altogether, 28 fly species were recorded preying on 52 aphid species across 57 host plants, and 25 lacewing species were observed feeding on 27 aphid species associated with 23 host plants, accounting for 216 and 59 tri-trophic associations, respectively, across 12 districts. Syrphidae (hover flies) and Chamaemyiidae emerged as dominant dipteran predators, with species such as Episyrphus balteatus, Betasyrphus serarius, Eupeodes confrater, and Ischiodon scutellaris exhibiting broad prey ranges. Among Neuroptera, Chrysopidae (green lacewings) were most prevalent, with Chrysoperla zastrowi sillemi and Cunctochrysa jubingensis displaying notable polyphagy. Records of anisopodids and eristaline flies were excluded due to their non-aphidophagous life histories. Aphid species such as Brevicoryne brassicae, Lipaphis erysimi, and Sitobion roseiformis supported the greatest diversity of predators.
The resulting checklist underscores the ecological significance of syrphids and lacewings in aphid suppression, highlights their potential in sustainable pest management, and provides critical baseline data for food-web analyses, biodiversity monitoring, and the design of region-specific IPM programs. More broadly, this study establishes a foundational reference for predator-aphid-plant interactions in Uttarakhand, offering valuable insights for biodiversity conservation and for anticipating ecological shifts under climate change and agricultural intensification.