Earwigs and woolly apple aphids in integrated and organic apple orchards: responses of a generalist predator and a pest prey to local and landscape factors

Organic management, connective woody habitats, and landscape complexity are supposed to enhance beneficial arthropods and biological pest control in agro-ecosystems. We studied earwigs (Dermaptera: Forficulidae) as generalist predators and aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) as key pests serving as earwig prey in a total of 58 commercial apple orchards differing in management (integrated production (IP) versus organic) in Germany and Spain. We focused on the effects of local agri-environmental structures, orchard management, and composition of the surrounding landscape on earwig populations and on tree infestation by the woolly apple aphid (WAA), Eriosoma lanigerum. Surprisingly, the common earwig, Forficula auricularia, did not benefit from organic management in either country, and we found even slightly higher earwig abundances in IP than in organic orchards in Germany. In Spain, we found a negative impact of IP compared to organic management on abundance of the earwig Forficula pubescens, whereas orchard management did not affect the abundance of F. auricularia. The presence of woody habitats adjacent to the orchard reduced the abundance of F. auricularia in IP but not in organic orchards in Germany. We did not study the effects of woody habitats in Spain, where these structures were very scarce. There was no effect of high plant species richness at the orchard boundary or compositional landscape heterogeneity on earwig abundance in either country. In Germany, WAA infestation was very low and driven by landscape characteristics rather than orchard management. In Spain, WAA infestation differed strongly between management types (higher in organic orchards). There were no strong, consistent correlations between earwig abundance and WAA infestation in either country. Our study shows that adjacent woody structures and orchard management may affect earwigs in perennial cropping systems. The consequences of orchard management, however, seem to strongly depend on earwig species. Our study suggests that woody elements may serve as sink habitats - potentially attracting earwigs by providing alternative prey and shelter - in IP (but not in organic) orchards.