Data from: Plastic mulches reduce abundance of some arthropods but are not detrimental to pollinators in primocane raspberries

Cultural practices modify agroecosystems to prevent or reduce pest
outbreaks, but they may be detrimental to beneficial arthropods and
non-target effects are not commonly evaluated. Plastic mulches are an
effective management practice for spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila
suzukii Matsumura) since they increase UV radiance in the plant canopy to
reduce larval infestation of fruit. In this two-year study, we evaluated
how black, white, and metallic plastic mulches impact populations of
arthropods, including predators of D. suzukii and raspberry pollinators in
Wisconsin. The three plastic mulches did not affect arthropod richness and
did not affect the abundance of about 65% of arthropod groups identified.
In the raspberry canopy, the black mulch decreased the abundance of
Orthoptera and Thysanoptera and increased Orius spp.;
the white mulch increased Diptera, Thysanoptera, and Orius spp.; and the
metallic mulch decreased Coleoptera, micro-Hymenoptera, Orthoptera, and
Thysanoptera. On the ground, all mulches decreased the abundance of
Gryllidae, the black and metallic increased Formicidae, and the white
increased Staphylinidae. We reported ten insect groups visiting raspberry
flowers. Bombus impatiens Cresson was the most common, accounting for 82%
of flower visits. The plastic mulches did not reduce flower visitation,
though the white plastic mulch increased the abundance of B. impatiens
compared to the other mulch treatments. Plastic mulches can reduce
populations of pests such as D. suzukii and overall have no severe
non-target effects on other arthropods in Wisconsin raspberry.