Honeydew producing insects in some forests of Turkey and their potential to produce of honeydew honey

Authors

  • Selma Ülgentürk Ankara University, Turkey
  • Benjamin Cosic Ankara University, Turkey
  • Işıl Özdemir Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Turkey
  • Ahmet İpek Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Turkey
  • Kadriye Sorkun Hacettepe University, Turkey

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46490/BF397

Abstract

The commercial interest in honeydew honey is increasing because of its higher therapeutic properties than most flower-based honeys. Marchalina hellenica Gennadius (Hemiptera: Marchalinidae) is one of the important scale insects to produce of honeydew honey and its honeydew in large quantities is collected by honeybees and used in pine honey in Turkey. The aim of this study was to survey and identify honeydew producing insects’ habitats that source of honeydew honey in pure fir forest in Bolu, spruce forests in Giresun (Black Sea region), oaks forest in Kırklareli (Thracian region) and cedar forest in Antalya (Mediterranean region). In accordance with these results, we found 20 honeydew producers and among of them are Cinara cedri Mimeur on Cedrus libani, Marchalina caucasica Hadzibejli on Abies nordmanniana subsp nordmanniana, and Picea orientalis; Nemolecanium abietis Borchsenius, Physokermes hellenicus Kozẚr & Gounari and Schizolachnus pineti on Abies bornmuelleriana; Lachnus roboris Linnaeus and Parthenolecanium rufulum (Cockerell) on Quercus spp. and Castanea sativa; Metcalfa pruinosa Say (Hemiptera: Flatidae) and Ricania simulans (Walker) (Hemiptera: Ricaniidae) on different host plants. All these insects produce large amount of honeydew depending on their population size. The article discusses the potential for these insects to produce honeydew honey.

Keywords: Picea orientalis, Abies nordmanniana, Ricania simulans, Eulecanium sericeum Metcalfa pruinosa, Marchalina caucasica

Published

2020-04-30

How to Cite

Ülgentürk, S., Cosic, B., Özdemir, I., İpek, A., & Sorkun, K. (2020). Honeydew producing insects in some forests of Turkey and their potential to produce of honeydew honey . Baltic Forestry, 26(1). https://doi.org/10.46490/BF397

Issue

Section

Forest Entomology