Integrated Pest Management

            Biological control is a component of an integrated pest management strategy. It is defined as the reduction of pest populations by natural enemies and typically involves an active human role. Keep in mind that all insect species are also suppressed by naturally occurring organisms and environmental factors, with no human input. This is frequently referred to as natural control. Natural enemies of insect pests, also known as biological control agents, include predators, parasitoids, and pathogens. The conservation of natural enemies is probably the most important and readily available biological control practice available to growers. The biological control involves the supplemental release of natural enemies also.

PREDATORS

Lady bird beetle (Coccinella septumpunctata)

Appearance

• Adult is half pea shaped, yellow to reddish brown with 7 black spots on elytra, both the head and ventral side are blackish in colour.
• Pupa is light brown marked with black dot and fixed on leaves at the posterior end.
• Egg is 1.2 mm long and yellowish in colour.

Pest and Stage attacked

• Predacious on Aphids, White fly and Bollworms.
• Stage attacked are Eggs, Nymphs and Adults.

Conservation & Augmentation

• Release at random on crop canopy

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Green lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)

Appearance

• Adults are of medium size, 1-2 cm long, green, yellow green or sometimes brownish with golden
  eyes and delicate netted wings.
• The larvae, which are very active, are gray or brownish and alligator-like with well-developed legs
  and large pincers and grow from <1 mm to 6-8 mm.
• Oval shaped eggs are laid singly at the end of long silken stalks and are pale green, turning gray in
  several days.

Pest and Stage attacked

• Aphids, Spider mite, Jassids, Whitefly, Thrips, Bollworms and many other small insects and insect eggs are the prey.
• Nymphs and adults are the stage attacked.

Conservation & Augmentation

• Because young larvae are susceptible to dessication, they may need a source of moisture. Adult lacewings need nectar or honeydew as food before egg laying and they also feed on pollen. Therefore, plantings should include flowering plants, and a low level of aphids should be tolerated. Artificial foods and honeydew substitutes are available commercially and have been used to enhance the number and activity of adult lacewings. These products may provide sufficient nutrients to promote egg laying, but they cannot counter the dispersal behavior of newly emerged adult lacewings.

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Spider (Neosiana sp, Thomisus sp.)

Appearance

• Adults have two major body regions, lack antennae, and have eight legs.
• They are generalist predators feeding on many pest insects; some spider species use webs to capture prey while other species stalk their prey.

Pest and Stage attacked

• Predacious on Bollworms.
• Eggs and larva stages are attacked.

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Predatory mite (Amblyseius sp.)

Appearance

• Adults have four pairs of legs and two major body regions; they are about the same size as pest spider mites, less than 1/32 inch long, are teardrop-shaped, long legged, and orange red, tan or brown.
• Eggs are translucent, pearl-colored, and oblong; can be found on the underside or top of leaves.
• Nymphs resemble small adults.

Pest and Stage attacked

• Predacious on Spider mites and Whitefly
• Nymphs and adults stages are attacked.

Conservation & Augmentation

• Pest mite problems are most common where pesticides are heavily used because predatory mite populations are killed along with target species It may take up to three years to establish a population of predators high enough to control pest mites. 

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Hover fly (Syrphus sp.)

Appearance

• Adults usually brightly coloured, resembling bees 

Pest and Stage attacked

• Predacious on Aphids 
• Nymphs and adults are attacked 

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Carpenter ants (Camponotus sp)

Appearance

• Among the largest ants, from one-fourth to three-eighths inch long; most common species are
  black, but some have reddish or yellowish coloration; workers have large mandibles.

Pest and Stage attacked

• Nymphs of jassids and egg and larva of spotted pod borer are predated.

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Predatory stink bug (Cantheconidea furcellata)

Appearance

• The eggs of stink bugs are typically barrel-shaped and laid in groups.
• When disturbed, the adults discharge a foul smelling odour, which helps them to avoid their natural
  enemies.
• Body shield-shaped and brightly coloured with conspicuous markings.
• Antennae five-segmented
• Scutellum large and well-developed
• Tarsi three-segmented

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Cicindella spp.

Appearance

• Both adults and larvae are general predators.
• Adults are mostly diurnal, active hunters, seeking their prey mainly on the ground.
• The larvae live hidden in burrows, usually in sandy soils, but also in stems or branches of bushes or
  trees. They wait for their prey and feed on passing ants, caterpillars, etc.
• Body usually colourful, often brightly metallic, with or without elytral markings.
• Eyes large and prominent, head as wide as or wider than pronotum.

Pest and Stage attacked

• Predacious on leaf roller

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Geocoris tricolor F. (Bigeyed bugs)

Appearance

• Adults and nymphs have oval bodies and broad heads.
• Their most distinguishing characteristic is their large, bulging eyes.
• They have relatively short antennae that are slightly enlarged at the tip.
• Adults are about 3/16th inch long and silver/gray in appearance (G. punctipes).
• The immature look like small adults, but lack fully developed wings.
• They are white to tan with a distinctive red spot.
• Both the adults and immature feed by sucking juices from their prey through a "needle-like" beak.

Pest and Stage attacked

• Predacious on white fly, thrips and jassids

Conservation & Augmentation

• Geocoris spp. are very susceptible to broad spectrum pesticides. Polycropping, use of pest-specific insecticides (e.g microbial, insect growth regulators, Bt cotton, etc.), and use of
  economic thresholds to minimize pesticide applications are all practical recommendations for
  preserving Geocoris.

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Ladybird beetle (Menochilus sexmaculata)

Appearance

• Menochilus sexmaculatus is a black-spotted lady beetle.
• The long and narrow black band at the pronotal base is connected to the transverse oval black
  discal spot by a short and narrow longitudinal constriction or line.

Pest and Stage attacked

• It is predacious on red hairy caterpillar.

Conservation & Augmentation

• Use minimum insecticides.
• Use neem seed kernel extract.

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Ants (Myrmica rubra)

Pest and Stage attacked

• Ants attacks gram pod borer, termites

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(Oxyopes spp) Spider

Appearance

• Adults have two major body regions, lack antennae, and have eight legs.
• They are active hunters usually seen near the tops of plants
• Their legs bear numerous characteristic spines
• They are generalist predators feeding on many pest insects.
• They do not make a web but use their good eyesight to locate prey, then jump on it from a distance.

Pest and Stage attacked

• Attacks on pod borer and semilooper

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Assassin bugs (Reduvius sp.)

Appearance

• Adults are ¼-1½ inches long; blackish, reddish or brown with a long narrow head, round beady eyes, and needle-like beak.
• Eggs are barrel shaped and laid upright in tight clusters or in rows on leaves or stems.
• Nymphs (immature stage) resemble adults but lack wings.

Pest and Stage attacked

• Adult and nymph assassin bugs attack moving prey; they feed on small caterpillars, aphids, and other small soft-bodied insects

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Lady beetle (Scymnus sp.)

Appearance

• Not all ladybeetle larvae look like the common ones.
• Many are smaller, have coatings, etc. like this Scymnus larva.

Pest and Stage attacked

• Aphids, Whitefly and Bollworms are attacked.
• Eggs, nymphus and adults of the pests are attacked

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Sphaerophoria indiana (Syrphid)

Appearance

• Adults usually brightly coloured, resembling bees and wasps.
• Syrphid larvae vary in appearance and habits.
• Many species are predacious on aphids, and also mealybugs, whiteflies, and lepidopterous larvae and beneficial.
• They are either obligate or facultative predators.
• The larvae are somewhat slug-like and are tapering towards head. Pupae are typically tear-drop shaped.

Pest and Stage attacked

• Predacious on safflower aphid

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