a compilation of the identification characteristics of natural enemies of crop-pests and weeds

2. DEPARTMENT OF ENTOMOLOGY,
INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES,
RGSC, BHU, BARKACHHA,MIRZAPUR
SPEAKER :
Kritika
ID No.- r-12013
B.Sc.(Ag.)4th year,2nd
semester
ON

4.  Organisms that feed upon the notorious organisms(pests or weeds)
affecting the crops as well as the natural resources.
 These are necessarily categorised as “BENEFICIAL INSECTS”.
NATURAL
ENEMY
ENTOMOPHAGOUS
NATURAL ENEMY
PARASITOIDS
PREDATORS
PHYTOPHAGOUS
NATURAL ENEMY
(WEED-KILLERS)
WEED-KILLERS
PATHOGENS
Parasites on
insect-pests

6. Stronger, larger and more
intelligent than prey.
Smaller and not as intelligent
as host.
Micro-organisms
Very active in habits Sluggish once the host is
secured
Active on acquiring host’s
body
Habitat independent of prey Habitat made & determined by
host
Habitat made & determined by
host
Siezes & devours the prey
rapidly
Lives on or in the host body
killing it slowly
Lives in the host body killing
it slowly
Depends on prey only for food
& nutrition
Depends for food & protection
at least during one stage of its
life-cycle
Depends upon host for food ,
shelter & protection &
completes its life-cycle and
reproduce in host body
Well-developed sense organs
& special structural adaptation
for catching the prey
Poorly developed sense organs
& ovipositor well-developed
No such adaptations nor
developed sense-organs
required
Attacks on prey to obtain food
for itself except wasps
It is provision of food to its
offspring
Provision of nutrition to itself
as well as its offspring
(reproduction)
Table : Difference between predators, parasitoids & pathogens

7. A single predator attacks
several hosts in a short period
a single host may shelter a no
of parasitoids
A single host is attacked by a
no. of pathogens
Long life-cycle Short life-cycle Shorter life-cycle
A generalized feeder except a
few with casual attacking on
prey
Host specialization attacking
with proper planning
Host specialization but no is
such planning evident ,
naturally its accidental
Behavioural adaptations with
crytic colouration found to
fool the prey
No such behavioural
adaptations found
No such adaptations found
Continued :
Ex. - Larvae of green lace
wing
Ex. - Braconid wasp Ex. – Entomopathegenic
nematode

10. Order
Dictyoptera
Order
Hemiptera
Order
Neuroptera
Order
Diptera
Order
Coleoptera
Order
Hymenoptera
Order
Odonata Sub-order Anisoptera
Sub-order Zygoptera
Family : Mantidae
Pentatomidae Miridae Reduviidae Veliidae Belostomatidae
Fam. : Chrysopidae
Fam. : Myrmeliontidae
Fam. : Syrphidae
Fam. : Asilidae
Coccinellidae carabidae cicindellidae Staphylinidae
Vespidae Sphecidae Formicidae
FAMILIES
FAMILIES
FAMILIES
Ex. - Damselfly
Ex. - Dragonfly

11. PREDATORS ORDER FAMILY HOST
Damselflies Odonata Anisoptera Mosquitoes, flies, moths
Dragonflies Odonata Zygoptera Mosquitoes, moths, flies
Praying mantids Dictyoptera Mantidae Flies, grasshoppers, caterpillars
Aphid lions or
green lace wings
Neuroptera Chrysopidae Aphids, jassids, coccids, mites or other
soft-bodied insects
Mud wasps Hymenoptera Vespidae Caterpillars, honey-bees
Digger wasps Hymenoptera Sphecidae Caterpillars, honey-bees
Ants Hymenoptera Formicidae Soft-bodied insects,insect eggs
Phycitids Lepidoptera Phycitidae Castor slug(Parasa lepida)
Hover flies Diptera Syrphidae Aphids
Maggots Diptera Cryptochetidae Coccids
Lady bird beetles Coleoptera Coccinellidae Coccids & soft-bodied insects
Ground beetles Coleoptera Carabidae Coconut BHC, Orthaga exvinacea
Tiger beetles Coleoptera Cicindellidae Variety of insects
Rove beetles Coleoptera Staphylinidae Small insects
Reduviid bug Hemiptera Reduviidae Small insects, caterpillars, red cotton bug
Table : Common Predators of crop-pests

12. Predator Family Pest targeted
Order Coleoptera
Coccinella septumpunctata
coccinellidae
Aphids
Crptolaemus montrouzieri Grapevine mealybugs
Rodolia cardinalis Icerya purchasi
Menochilus sexmaculata Mealybugs & scales
Chilocorus nigritus Melanispis glomerata, Aspidiotus destructor
Scymnus coccivora Mealybugs
Order Hemiptera
Platymeris laevicollis Reduviidae Orycetes rhinoceros
Cyrtorhinus lividipennis Miridae Niloparvata lugens
Eucanthecona furcelleta Pentatomidae Amsacta albistriga
Table : Predators specific to pests

14. Parasitoids
Order Diptera Order Hymenoptera Order Lepidoptera
Ichneumoidae
Braconidae
Chalcididae
Trichogrammatidae
Eulophidae
Bethylidae
Superfamilies
Order Strepsiptera

15. Parasitoids
Based on the
sheltering of parasite
Based on the
specificity of parasite
Based on the stage
parasite attacks
Endoparasitoid
Egg parasitoid
OligophagousEctoparasitoid
Polyphagous
Monophagous
Larval parasitoid
Pupal parasitoid
Adult parasitoid
Egg parasitoid Adult parasitoid Larval parasitoid

16. Types of parasitism in parasitoids
Simple parasitism
Superparasitism
Multiparasitism
Hyperparasitism
Inimical to beneficial insects and
thereby to man
Cleptoparasitism

18. Parasitoid Family Host
Egg parasitoid
Trichogramma chilonis
(oligophagous) Trichogrammaridae
(monophagous)
(polyphagous)
Sugarcane internode borer,
Cotton bollworm, Tomato fruit
borer, Rice leaffolder, Rice
stem borer
Trichogramma japonicum Rice stem borer
Trichogramma achae Lepidopteran pests
Telenomus remus Scleoniidae Tobacco caterpillar
Egg-larval parasitoid
Chelonus blackburni Braconidae Eggs of spotted bollworm
Copidosoma koehleri Encyrtidae Potato tuber moth
Larval parasitoid
Eriborus trochanteratus Ichneumonidae Coconut BHC
Cotesia plutella
Braconidae
DBM
Bracon hebtor & B.brevicornis Coconut BHC
Goniozus nephantidis Bethylidae Coconut BHC
Platygaster oryzae Platygasteridae Rice gall midge
Table : Parasitoids of some crop pests

19. Parasitoid Family Host
Larval pupal parasitoid
Isotima javensis Ichneumonidae Pre-pupal parasite of
sugarcane top shoot borer
Tetrastichus israeli &
trichospilus pupivora
Eulophidae Cocnut BHC
Brachymeria nephantidis Chalcididae Coconut BHC
Nymphal & adult parasitoid
Encarsia formosa
Aphelinidae
Cotton whitefly
Aphelinus mali Apple wooly aphid
Encarsia perniciosi San jose scale
Epiricania melanoleuca Epiricanidae(epipyrodae) Sugarcane pyrilla
Continued :
Isotima javensis
Family: Ichneumonidae, Order : Hymenoptera

20. Cotesia flavipes
Fam: Braconidae,
Order: Hymenoptera
Brachymeria nephantidis
Fam: Chalcididae,
Order: Hymenoptera
Trichogramma chilonis
Fam: Trichogrammatidae
Order: Hymenoptera
Tetrastychus israeli
Fam: Eulophidae, Ord:
Hymenoptera
Goniozus nephantidis
Fam: Bethylidae,
Ord: Hymenoptera
Sturmiopsis inferens
Fam: Tachinidae,
Ord: Diptera

21. Examples of parasitoids

22. PATHOGENS

23. BACTERIA FUNGI VIRUS NEMATODE PROTOZOA
Spore forming
(facultative)
Non-spore
forming
Spore forming
(obligate)
Bacillus
thuringiensis
Bacillus popilliae
Serratia entomophila
on grubs
Green
muscardine
fungus
White
muscardine
fungus
White halo
fungus
NPV
GV
Nematode
bacteria
complex
DD136
(Nucleopolyhedro
viruses)
(Granular
viruses)
Green muscaridine infected larvae

24. Viruses coming under family Baculoviridae cause disease in Lepidoptera larvae.
 SYMPTOM :
VIRUS
NPV Helicoverpa armigera, Spodoptera litura
GV Chilo infuscatellus
Fig. : Tree top disease in lepidopterous larva
larva become sluggish, pinkish in colour, lose appetite, body becomes fragile and
rupture to release polyhedra (virus occlusion bodies).
 Tree top disease in larvae

25. FUNGUS
• Disease caused by fungus –
Mycosis
• Infected insect mummified , hard,
covered with filamentous hyphae
 Green muscardine fungus -
Metarhizium anisopliae attack
coconut rhinoceros beetle
 White muscardine fungus –
Beaveria bassiana against
lepidopteran larvae
 White halo fungus - Verticillium
lecanii on coffee green
Fig. : Infected stages of rhinoceros beetle with Metarhizium

26. Nematode bacteria complex - form a disease complex in insects
Nematode - Steinernema carpocapsae + Bacterium– Achromobacter nematophilus
Nematode Heterorhabditis indica + Bacterium Photorhabdus sp.
DD136 discovered by Dutky and Hough 1955 against codling moth
NEMATODE
Heterorhabditis
nematode infected
wax-worm cadevers

28. PROTOZOA
Protozoa Hosts
Farinocystis triboli Tribolium castaneum
Nosemma bombycis grasshoppers and crickets
Importance of
Beneficial
Nematodes

29. WEED-KILLERS
 Insects feeding upon noxious & menacing weeds
•Should not be a pest of any cultivated plants
• Should be effective in damaging & controlling the weeds
• Preferably be a borer or internal feeder of the weeds
• Should be able to multiply largely without being affected by parasites or predators
 Characteristics of a successful weed-killers :

30. Weed-killer insect Family Order Weed
Dactylopious opuntiae Dactylopidae Hemiptera Prickly pear(opuntia dilleni)
Zygogramma bicolorata Chrysomelidae Coleoptera Congress or carrot grass
(parthenium hysterophorus)
Ophiomyia lantanae Tortricidae Lepidoptera Lantana camera
Teleonemia scrupulosa Tingidae Hemiptera Lantana camera
Pareuchates
pseudoinsulata
Arctiiidae Lepidoptera Siam weed (chromolaena
odorata)
Cryptobagus singularis Curculionidae Coleoptera Water fern(salvinia molesta)
Neochetina eichorniea &
N. bruchi
Orthoglaumna
terebrantis(mite)
Curculionidae Coleoptera
water hyacinth
(Eichorrnia crassipes)
Table : some common weed-killers of most noxious weeds

31. Dactylopious opuntiae Ophiomyia species
Neochetina bruchi

32. CONCLUSION :
Predators, parasitoids, pathogens and weed-killers are the beneficial
insects since they are invasive to the unwanted threats (crop-pests &
weeds) of the crops.
They should be mass-multiplied since they are very helping in
controlling the crop-pests and most noxious invasive weeds.
A natural tool to control the pests & weeds replacing the poisonous &
polluting chemicals being used in agriculture.
Use of beneficial insects is a best way to enrich the biodiversity besides
protecting our crops.