DIVERSITY OF THE MIRIDAE FAMILY (HEMIPTERA, HETEROPTERA, CIMICOMORPHA II) WESTERN TIEN SHAN

Abstract

The topic of the study is “Development of an Information System for Maintaining a Cadastre of Wild Animals of the Western Tien Shan for their conservation and sustainable use.” The main objective of the study was to determine the diversity of the family Miridae in the Western Tien Shan. Various entomological methods were used to collect insects, including sweeping with an entomological net, nocturnal collection, and the collection of small insects using an aspirator, among others. As a result of field studies conducted in the Western Tien Shan in 2024–2025, 42 species of bugs belonging to the family Miridae were identified. According to habitat preferences, the identified species can be divided into several groups: chortobionts, chorto-tamnobionts, dendro-chortobionts, and dendrobionts. Chortobionts accounted for 37 species, chorto-tamnobionts for 2 species, dendro-chortobionts for 1 species, and dendrobionts for 2 species. Different species of Hemiptera have different requirements for the degree of habitat moisture. Based on this characteristic, the following ecological groups were identified: mesophiles and mesoxerophiles. Mesophiles comprised 39 species, while mesoxerophiles comprised 3 species. According to trophic relationships, the bugs were divided into herbivorous species and species with mixed diets that consume both plant and animal food. Zoophytophagous species accounted for 6 species, while phytophagous species accounted for 36 species, including 24 polyphytophagous species, 11 broad oligophytophagous species, and 1 narrow oligophytophagous species. Voltinism reflects the number of generations produced by a population per year. Three known types of voltinism are characteristic of Hemiptera of the family Miridae: univoltine species – 18 species, bivoltine species – 15 species, and multivoltine species – 9 species. Hemiptera overwinter at different developmental stages: 19 species overwinter at the adult stage, while 23 species overwinter at the egg stage. As a result of field studies conducted in the Western Tien Shan, 42 species of bugs belonging to the family Miridae were identified.