Data from: The success of a habitat specialist biological control agent in the face of disturbance

A field study was conducted in alfalfa fields in the Arlington Agricultural Research Station, Dane County, Wisconsin, USA.

Three fields were studied. Each field was divided into three sections and in each section a one of three treatments was implemented:

1.       Control – harvesting normally, once a month (medium disturbance)

2.       Insecticide – harvesting as in the control + implementing insecticide spray (permethrin insecticide Pounce 32 EC (8 oz/ac)) immediately after harvest (high disturbance)

3.       Strips – harvesting in strips (low disturbance)

In each field and each section insects were collected during the summer of 2001 (exact dates are in the files). Insects were collected with sweep nets, the number of sweeps changed in according to the number of aphids in the field, and is given in the files for each sample. Mummies of Apidius ervi were collected by visual searches of three minutes.