19th International Sunflower Conference, Edirne, Turkey, 2016 INSECT MONITORING IN SUNFLOWER CROPS (HELIANTHUS ANNUUS) IN NORTHERN GREECE (2010-2015) Anthimos ANASTASIADES 1 1 Centre "Demetra", Elgo "Demetra", Drama, Greece [email protected] ABSTRACT Twenty-eight insect species were recorded in sunflower crops in Northern Greece, during the 2010-2015 period. The recorded species were classified into three categories: a) pests, b) beneficial and c) insects that were merely observed in sunflower fields. In the first category, the recorded insect species in sunflower crops were green peach aphids (Myzus persicae, Hem.: Aphididae), thrips (Thys.: Thripidae), ground beetle grubs (Col.: Scarabaeidae), meadow froghoppers (Philaenus spumarius, Hem.: Aphrophoridae), common meadow bugs (Lygus pratensis, Hem.: Miridae), click beetle larvae (Agriotes spp., Col.: Elateridae), grasshoppers (Orth.: Acrididae), cutworms (Agrotis spp.), long horn beetle larvae (Agapanthia cynarae, Col.: Cerambycidae), sugarbeet weevils (Bothynoderes punctiventris, Col.: Curculionidae), leafhoppers (Hem.: Cicadellidae), whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci, Hem.: Aleyrodidae), vine chafer beetles (Anomala vitis, Col.: Scarabaeidae), flea beetles (Chaetocnema tibialis, Col.: Chrysomelidae), bordered straw larvae (Heliothis peltigera, Lep.: Noctuidae), black bean aphids (Aphis fabae, Hem.: Aphididae), two-spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae, Tetranychidae) and nematodes (Meloidogyne hispanica, Tylenchida). In the beneficial insects category, ladybirds (Coccinella septempunctata, Col.: Coccinellidae), damsel bugs (Nabis spp., Hem.: Nabidae) and lacewings (Chrysoperla carnea, Neur.: Chrysopidae) were recorded. In the third category, sloe bugs (Dolycoris baccarum, Hem.: Pentatomidae), red shield bugs (Carpocoris mediterraneus, Hem.: Pentatomidae), lucerne bugs (Adelphocoris lineolatus, Hem.: Miridae), clearwing flies (Terellia spp., Dip.: Tephritidae), green stink bugs (Nezara viridula,Hem.: Pentatomidae), the harmless pollen-feeding beetles (Col.: Oedemeridae) and painted-lady adults (Vanessa cardui, Lep.: Nymphalidae) were recorded. Key Words : sunflower 996 .