Overview of predators and parasitoids for biological control of plant pests in Mississippi

Authors: Riddick, Eric

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/7/2018
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Predators and parasitoids are important natural enemies of plant pests in some agricultural landscapes throughout the world. Based on personal observations as well as the scientific literature, a diverse assemblage of predators and parasitoids are found attacking, or have the potential to attack, pest insects in agricultural fields in Mississippi. For example, plant-foraging ladybird beetles, syrphid fly larvae, and minute pirate bugs can attack aphids and eggs and young larvae of lepidopterans. Ground-foraging carabid beetles and staphylinid beetles can attack eggs and larvae of pestiferous moths, flies, and beetles. Parasitoids attacking pest insects on plant foliage are numerous and some examples include aphelinid wasps for aphid control, braconid wasps for bollworm and armyworm control, scelionid wasps for stinkbug control, and mymarid wasps for lygus bug control. Strategies to conserve populations of some of these beneficial insects will depend on the judicious use of pesticides and the availability of alternative food sources and shelter in the non-agricultural landscape, nearby.