Cimicomorpha infraorder includes insects with a major ecological role in agroecosystems, having a cosmopolitan (worldwide) distribution. In general, the vast majority of species have phytophagous food habits, but a relatively large number are predators with an intermediate stage in the food chains of their respective communities. Some species may have economic importance as phytophagous and as predators. Therefore, the knowledge of the species composition of the true bugs fauna and their taxonomic classification is of major importance for the specialists in the field. This research focused on alfalfa crops, to determine the true bugs harmful species, also the predatory ones and of course their dominance in Western Romania. The biological material for the present study was collected between 2015 and 2019, using the sweep net method, the Barber traps and direct observation method. After collecting and identifying the biological material, an updated list of Romanian Cimicomorpha species from alfalfa crop was generated, with 833 samples belonging to 21 species and 4 families. Considering the old classification given by Dafour (1833), which emphasized that the Cimicomorpha infraorder can be divided into two series and analyzing the alternative new classification proposed in 1995 by Sorensen, the insects collected from fields are part of 2 suprafamilies: Cimicoidea, Miroidea. All species identified in the studied area have a wide spread in the territory of Romania, with one exception – Nabis capsiformis (Germar, 1837), collected for the first time.

true bugs, Cimicomorpha infraorder, alfalfa, classification, western Romania

biology

Presentation: poster