ON THE TROPHIC RELATIONSHIPS OF INVASIVE INSECTS IN THEAGRO- AND URBAN ECOSYSTEMS OF THE FERGANA VALLEY

Abstract

This paper examines the trophic relationships between invasive insects
occurring in the agro- and urban ecosystems of the Fergana Valley and their food resources, as well as the factors of tri-trophic coevolution that emerge within the plant– phytophagous insect–natural enemy system. The study was conducted from 2022 to 2025, primarily during the growing seasons, and was based on field observations and specimen collection, laboratory morphological identification, and phenological and trophic analyses. A trophic association was established between 28 invasive insect species identified in the region and 83 species of host plants. The results show that, within the tri-trophic system, the morphological, anatomical, and chemical defense mechanisms of plants, the detoxification capacity and concealed feeding habits of phytophagous insects, and the participation of predators, parasites, and entomopathogens are important factors in regulating invasive species populations.