1. Introduction

Miridae Hahn, 1833 is one of the largest and ecologically most important families within Heteroptera, comprising thousands of species worldwide. In cotton agrocenoses of Uzbekistan, certain representatives of this family damage generative organs buds, flowers, bolls, and capsules as sap-sucking phytophages, while other representatives are important as entomophages or zoophytophages feeding on eggs and larvae of small insects. [2] Therefore, generalizing Miridae species solely as pests is scientifically insufficient: the trophic status, phenology, host plants, and function of each species in the agrocenosis should be assessed separately.

The issue of Miridae in Karakalpakstan is relevant for two reasons. First, the region has an arid climate, while irrigated areas in the Amu Darya delta are located in a landscape where cotton, alfalfa, and vegetable agrocenoses intersect with natural desert–meadow biotopes. Such a mosaic landscape creates favorable conditions for the migration of phytophagous bugs between crop fields and wild reservoir plants. Second, the Southern Aral Sea region and Lower Amu Darya area have been actively studied in recent years in terms of Heteroptera diversity: in 2025, the composition of Heteroptera in the Southern Aral Sea region was reported to comprise 258 species, 25 families, and 104 genera. [4] This indicates the need to strengthen regional inventory and practical monitoring of Miridae.

Table 1. Methodological framework and key indicators for the regional agroecological assessment of Miridae in Karakalpakstan

2. Results

The family Miridae belongs to the infraorder Cimicomorpha within the superfamily Miroidea. In GBIF data, for example, the complete hierarchy for Lygus pratensis is Animalia – Arthropoda – Insecta – Hemiptera – Miridae – Lygus – Lygus pratensis. [8] The Catalogue of Life lists the “On-line Systematic Catalog of Plant Bugs” dataset as a separate global taxonomic resource in its 2026 version. [7]

Table 2. Taxonomic classification of the family Miridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera)

Nineteen species from the family Miridae were recorded in published materials for the Amu Darya and Khujayli districts, of which 17 were assessed as phytophagous and 2 as entomophagous. [1] The table presents taxa that can be clearly read in the source and are considered within Miridae. Because some names are given with old transliterations or spelling errors, molecular or genital-morphological re-examination is required.

Table 3. Species composition, trophic groups, host associations, and agroecological significance of Miridae recorded in Karakalpakstan

Important note on taxonomic accuracy: Certain names such as Carpocoris also appear alongside the Miridae entries in the source, but Carpocoris is generally placed in the family Pentatomidae. Therefore, it was not included in Miridae in this article; instead, it was treated as part of the general Heteroptera list in the source.

Figure 1. Real photographs of species belonging to the family Miridae obtained from the Internet: A — Lygus pratensis, B — Adelphocoris lineolatus, C — Deraeocoris punctulatus, D — Campylomma verbasci. Photo credits and licenses: Wikimedia Commons. [13]

Figure 2. Number of species by clearly identified Miridae genera in the Amu Darya–Khujayli data. The graph was reconstructed based on the taxonomic table in the source

According to regional data, phytophages predominate among Miridae species: 17 of the 19 species are indicated as phytophages and 2 as entomophages. This ratio demonstrates the practical importance of the Miridae family in cotton, alfalfa, and vegetable agrocenoses. At the same time, conserving zoophytophagous/entomophagous representatives such as Campylomma verbasci and Deraeocoris punctulatus may be important for naturally limiting populations of pest phytophages. The role of Deraeocoris serenus as an entomophage in the agroecosystems of Karakalpakstan was specifically noted by Jollibekova G.P. and Juginisov T.I.; the bioecological characteristics of Miridae bugs in the Southern Aral Sea region were described in a study involving Juginisov T.I. and Duysengaliev E.S. [17], [19].

Figure 3. Ratio of trophic groups of Miridae species recorded in the Amu Darya and Khujayli districts

The spectrum of host plants is broad: a local source reports that Miridae representatives are associated with 46 plant species belonging to 18 families, and oviposition was recorded on 32 plant species. [1] This indicates that Miridae representatives move among and inhabit not only agrocenoses but also wild plants, field margins, ditch banks, alfalfa, and cotton fields.

Figure 4. Spectrum of host plants associated with Miridae representatives: number of plant species, species on which oviposition was recorded, and number of plant families

Miridae representatives suck sap from plant tissues using piercing-sucking mouthparts. In the Lygus group, damage is often associated with the apical meristem, buds, flowers, seeds, and fruit organs; damage results from mechanical piercing and the action of salivary enzymes that disrupt cellular contents. [9] In cotton, this may manifest as bud shedding, blackening of flowers, black spots on bolls, deformation, slowed seed development, and a reduction in yield-forming elements.

In Amu Darya district of Karakalpakstan, black spots on bolls, flowers, and stems were recorded on cotton variety C-27-54 R-1 after feeding by field and alfalfa bugs. The regional conclusion indicates that feeding on the generative organs of cotton was associated with 5–7% yield damage. [1] Special cage experiments conducted in other regions of the republic showed that the damage range for some Miridae representatives can be considerably higher: 32.3–36.4% under the influence of Adelphocoris lineolatus, 8.6–13.5% under the influence of Lygus pratensis, and up to 61.6–88.9% yield reduction with early-season damage by Creontiades pallidus. [2]

Figure 5. Ranges of cotton damage by Miridae reported in Uzbek sources. Data on Creontiades pallidus are provided for comparison at the republic level and do not refer to Karakalpakstan

Table 4. Major damage symptoms caused by Miridae, their biological causes, occurrence periods, and practical monitoring approaches

3. Discussion

The results show that the Miridae problem under the conditions of Karakalpakstan is not limited to a single crop or a single species. Cropland, alfalfa, vegetables, wild plants, and natural biotopes form an interconnected agroecological system. Therefore, prevention should not rely solely on chemical treatment; instead, it should combine monitoring, agronomic practices, biological control, conservation of natural enemies, and, where necessary, selective chemical measures.

Recent studies indicate that the Heteroptera fauna of Uzbekistan is being rapidly updated. For example, in 2024, Asciodema obsoleta was reported for the first time for the fauna of Uzbekistan, based on material from the Khorezm, Namangan, and Fergana regions. [6] This confirms the need to maintain the Miridae list not as a static inventory but as a continuously updated database.

A particular risk for Karakalpakstan is that alfalfa and wild flowering plants may serve as reservoirs for phytophagous Miridae. International literature notes that trap crops for Lygus species, particularly alfalfa-based border crops, may divert pests from the main crop; however, if such an approach is improperly managed, the reservoir field itself may become a source of pests. [9] Therefore, as a preventive measure, alfalfa mowing, field margins, vegetation along ditches, and migration periods between crops should be planned together. The need to link preventive work with seasonal monitoring is also evident in the work of Juginisov T.I., Kurbaniyazov B.T., Duysengaliev E.S., and co-authors on seasonal changes in the development of Anacanthotermes termites. [18]

Preventive Measures System. The following system is a recommended preventive model for the cotton–alfalfa–vegetable agrocenoses of Karakalpakstan. It is not a pesticide dosage or field-treatment instruction; chemical measures should be carried out only in accordance with labels of registered products, local phytosanitary regulations, and the instructions of qualified specialists.

Table 5. Integrated pest management strategies for Miridae in cotton agrocenoses

4. Conclusions

Representatives of the family Miridae in the agrocenoses of the Amu Darya and Khujayli districts of Karakalpakstan form a multi-component complex associated with cotton, alfalfa, vegetable crops, and natural plants. Published regional data record 19 species of Miridae, of which 17 are indicated as phytophagous and 2 as entomophagous. For scientific accuracy, some taxon names should be re-examined using international catalogues, collection specimens, and, where necessary, DNA barcoding. Miridae damage is most pronounced in the generative organs of cotton: damage to buds, flowers, and young bolls, black spots, shedding, and reductions in yield-forming elements are observed. Local sources report damage of 5–7%, but special experiments in other regions of Uzbekistan show considerably higher yield losses for some species. The preventive system should combine monitoring, agronomic management, control of alfalfa and field-margin reservoirs, conservation of entomophages, and scientifically justified chemical intervention only when necessary.

Scientific Novelty and Practical Significance. Maqolaning ilmiy yangiligi Miridae bo‘yicha mahalliy Qoraqalpog‘iston maʼlumotlarini so‘nggi xalqaro va respublika nashrlari bilan uyg‘unlashtirish, shuningdek, turlarni fitofag-entomofag funksional guruhlari bo‘yicha profilaktik boshqaruv nuqtai nazaridan qayta talqin qilishdan iborat. Amaliy ahamiyati esa paxta va beda agrotsenozlarida keraksiz kimyoviy bosimni kamaytirgan holda Miridae xavfini erta aniqlash va boshqarish algoritmini taklif etishidadir.