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Insect Assemblage and Insect–Plant Relationships in a Cultivated Guayule (Parthenium argentatum A. Gray) Plot in Spain
by
, , , and
Eduardo Jarillo
1, 
Guayente Latorre
2,
Enrique Fernández-Carrillo
3,
Sara Rodrigo-Gómez
4,
José Luis Yela
5 and
Manuel Carmona
1,* 1
Food Quality Research Group, Institute for Regional Development (IDR), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain
2
Instituto Técnico Agronómico Provincial de Albacete, ITAP. Parque empresarial Campollano, 2a Avenida, 02007 Albacete 61, Spain
3
Centro de Investigación Agroambiental “El Chaparrillo”-CIAG (IRIAF), 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain
4
Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, 13270 Ciudad Real, Spain
5
DITEG Research Group, Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales y Bioquímica, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Tecnológico de la Fábrica de Armas, 45004 Toledo, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Insects 2025, 16(8), 808; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16080808 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 6 July 2025
/
Revised: 26 July 2025
/
Accepted: 30 July 2025
/
Published: 4 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Insect Ecology, Diversity and Conservation)
Simple Summary
This study explores the types of insects found on guayule plants grown in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain, to understand how they interact with the crop. Guayule is a plant native to North America that is being introduced to new regions. In spring and early summer, during the flowering season of the plant, insects were collected with nets and traps. A total of 352 different insect species were identified, which are grouped into 12 major groups. Flies, beetles, bugs, and wasps were the most common. Many of the insects were pollinators, i.e., they helped the plant to reproduce by transporting pollen, while others fed on plants or helped decompose dead material. Guayule flowering increased steadily until mid-June, coinciding with the peak of pollinator activity. Approximately three out of the four insects found were able to act as pollinators, demonstrating that guayule supports a wide range of useful insects. These results suggest that guayule can benefit biodiversity in areas where it is grown and could play a positive role in sustainable agriculture. The results are similar to those of studies in other countries, which indicate that guayule attracts the same types of useful insects regardless of where it is planted.
Abstract
This study aims to characterize for the first time the insect assemblage associated with sown, introduced guayule (Parthenium argentatum A. Gray, Asteraceae) in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain, and identify potential relationships with the crop. Insect sampling was conducted using nets and pan traps during spring and early summer, coinciding with the flowering period of the plant. A total of 352 insect species/morphospecies across 12 orders were identified. Diptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, and Hymenoptera were the most species-rich and abundant orders. Within these orders, Muscidae, Syrphidae, Tenebrionidae, Dermestidae, Miridae, Halictidae, and Apidae were the most numerous families. Guayule flowering intensity increased gradually until mid-June, aligning with the peak activity of pollinating Diptera. The majority of the identified insects (74.4%) were potential pollinators, while nearly 50% were detritivores and approximately 30% were herbivorous. The similarity in insect families and functional roles observed in this study to previous studies in the USA and Mexico suggest that guayule may serve as a similar trophic resource for insects in Spain, despite being a non-native species.
