data Ichneumonoidea forest and cassava amazon

Parasitoid Hymenoptera are key natural enemies of insect pests, playing an essential role in ecological balance and pest control in agroecosystems. Ichneumonoidea is the largest superfamily in the order, but its diversity in the Amazon remains understudied. This study aimed to assess the diversity of Ichneumonoidea parasitoids in native forest and cassava crop environments in Mâncio Lima, state of Acre, Brazil. Sampling was conducted using Malaise traps installed in forest and cassava areas over three 15-day periods between December 2020 and April 2021. Specimens were sorted and identified at family and subfamily levels under a stereomicroscope. A total of 1,649 Ichneumonoidea individuals were collected, comprising 32 subfamilies (15 Ichneumonidae and 17 Braconidae). The native forest exhibited significantly higher diversity and richness of Ichneumonidae compared to the cassava cropland, with a notable structural difference driven by the dominance of Cremastinae on the cropland. For Braconidae, while the overall composition of the community did not differ significantly between the habitats, the croplands were characterized by a highly female-biased sex ratio (88% females). These results indicate that while the cassava agroecosystem sustains a high abundance of certain key parasitoids, the adjacent native forest acts as a crucial reservoir for a wider diversity of the parasitoid community, highlighting the importance of forest remnants for maintaining the full suite of natural enemies in agricultural landscapes.