Almond (Amygdalus communis), is the most produced tree nut crop globally, with total production exceeding 1.3 million metric tons (INC 2020; RIJAL et al., 2021). Being a globally expanding crop lately, due to climate change caused by global warming, but also due to the growing demand for almond kernels (global demand has increased by 220%) - which leads to a potentially high profit, farmers' interest in this walnut, has also taken shape in Romania. In the world, the annual yield losses, in the case of almond orchards, due to the attack of diseases and pests can reach 20-30%. Studies on the taxonomy and diversity of harmful insects in almond orchards obviously have a large number of pests often found in Romania and around the world. Methods of direct observations and colored adhesive traps are used to collect specimens. Insects in the present study were collected from April to September 2021, with a decadal frequency, from an almond orchards located in Lovrin Development Research Station (Timiș, Romania). A number of 324 insect were collected and classified in two different orders (Hemiptera and Lepidoptera). The most abundant were the species belonging to the Aphididae family. Also, a high abundance presented the Diaspididae family.

occurrence, biodiversity, insects, almonds orchard, western Romania

biology

Presentation: None