The surrounding landscape shapes the abundance of Sphaerophoria scripta and Melanostoma mellinum (Diptera: Syrphidae) in Portuguese vineyards

The intensification of urban and agricultural use in the landscape is the major driver of biodiversity loss and the consequent decrease of ecosystem services provided by insects. Syrphids are important ecosystem service providers, including pest regulation, pollination, and matter decomposition. Understanding how the surrounding landscape to crops affects syrphids is essential to implementing strategies to reverse the negative effects of the agricultural landscape's simplification. This study describes the Syrphidae community in Portuguese vineyards and the response of the most abundant species, Sphaerophoria scripta Linnaeus, 1758, and Melanostoma mellinum Linnaeus, 1758, to the landscape composition and configuration within a gradient of distances (500, 1000, and 2000 m) from the sampled vineyards. The presence of seminatural habitats and other crops in the surrounding landscape increased both species at the largest distance, whereas the presence of artificial territory, olive orchards, and vineyards reduce M. mellinum at some of the buffers. Increasing seminatural habitats in the vineyards surrounding landscape (2000 m) and, potentially, introducing nature-friendly practices in the principal crops around vineyards may favour syrphid abundance.

Automated summary

The intensification of urban and agricultural use is causing biodiversity loss and a decrease in ecosystem services provided by insects. This study focuses on the Syrphidae community in Portuguese vineyards and examines how the surrounding landscape affects two species of syrphids. The presence of seminatural habitats and other crops was found to increase syrphid abundance, while artificial territories, olive orchards, and vineyards had a negative impact on one of the species.