Species of plants of the Apiaceae family can provide vital resources for predators of agricultural pests, boosting their efficiency as biological control agents, because they allow their maintenance in the environment by offering features such as sites of refuge, protection and food. The present study was aimed to evaluate the attraction of predator insects by 3 Apiaceae species, namely coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.), dill (Anethum graveolens L.) and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.). The bioassay was conducted on the campus of UFLA (MG) in a randomized block design with 3 treatments and 4 replications. Weekly collections were carried out by beating the plants on white plastic trays, aspirating the predators and packing them into bottles with 70% alcohol. Determinations were made of the collector curve, the species richness, the Shannon-Wienner diversity index and the index of similarity (cluster analysis). The fennel had a higher richness and Shannon-Wienner index (H' = 1.104), while the coriander was more abundant, especially for the species Orius insidiosus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), a major predator of thrips in vegetables. Other predatory species of vegetable pests were found, generally, on all Apiaceae, especially adults and larvae of coccinellids, which are important predators of aphids. Cluster analysis indicated a greater similarity between fennel and dill (55.03%), and a lower value for the other pairs. The flowering period increased the abundance of predators, especially the coriander.
Coriandrum sativum L.; Anethum graveolens L.; Foeniculum vulgare Mill.; generalist predators; resources