Insect parasitoids have an immature life stage that develops on or within a single insect host, ultimately killing the host, hence the value of parasitoids as natural enemies. Adult parasitoids are free-living and may be predaceous. Parasitoids are often called parasites, but the term parasitoid is more technically correct. Most beneficial insect parasitoids are wasps or flies, although some rove beetles (see Predators) and other insects may have life stages that are parasitoids. where as the Major characteristics of arthropod predators includes adults and immatures are often generalists rather than specialists, they generally are larger than their prey, they kill or consume many prey males, females, immatures, and adults may be predatory and they attack immature and adult prey.

1. Topic: Parasitiods And Predators
Their Attributes
Course: Ento-412 (biological control)
Submitted To : Dr. R.K. Gupta

2. Introduction
Parasitiods
Classification Of Parasitiods
Types Of Parasitism
Attributes Of Parasitiods
Predators
Predators Feeding Behaviour
Predators Searching Behaviour
Comparison Between Parasitiods And Predators
Conclusion

3. Biological control is the pest management tactic
involving purposeful natural enemy manipulation to
obtain reduction in a pest’s status. – PEDIGO
Natural enemies are living organisms found in the
nature that kills insects outright, weakens them and
thereby contribute to their premature death or reduce
their reproductive potential.
Categories of Bio-control Agents(NEs):
 Parasites
 Predators
 Parasitiods

4. Organism often of same size as its host, kills
its host.
Requires only one host for development into
a free-living adult.
Parasitic in Immature Stages but Adult Is
Free-living.
It generally lay its eggs within or upon the
host, the larva feed within(Endo- Parasitiods)
or upon the host( Ecto- Parasitiods).
6 orders (86 families) viz. Diptera,
Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Neuroptera,
Coleoptera, And Strepsiptera have listed as
Parasitiods.
Among these Hymenoptera And Diptera are
most important.
E.g.: ECTO-PARASITIODS
E.g.: ENDO-PARASITIODS

5. Classification of Parasitiods
EGG PARASITIOD: e.g. Trichogramma sp., Telenomus
sp., etc.
EGG-LARVAL PARASITIOD: e.g. Braconid, Chelonus
blackburni
LARVAL PARASITIOD: e.g. DBM Parasitiods, Isotima sp.,
Campoletis chloridae, etc
LARVAL- PUPAL PARASITIOD: e.g. Pleurotropis
epilachnae on Epilachna spp
CONTD
.

6. PUPAL PARASITIODS: e.g. Tetrastichus sp., Elasmus
sp., Fruit Fly parasitiods, etc
ADULT PARASITIOD: e.g. Blaesoziphae kellyi a
parasitiods of locust.
NYMPHAL- ADULT PARSITIOD: e.g. Epiricania
melanoleuca parasitic on Pyrilla perpusilla.
On The Basis Of Stage Of Host Attacked

7. Hyper parasitism: A hyper parasitoid is a parasitoid which developed on another
parasitoid i.e. a parasite of a parasite.
It depend on the food chain as host primary, secondary, tertiary and so on. e. g.
pea aphid Acyrthosiohan pisum ------------Primary consumer
Primary parasite Aphidius sinithi ------------Secondary consumer
Secondary parasite Allaxysta vitix -----------Tertiary consumer
Tertiary parasite Asaphes califonical -----------Quaternary parasite
Super parasitism: The condition resulting from the use of a single host individual
by more number of individual parasitiods of the same species than it can
successfully switch to maturity because of nutritional limitation.
Multiple Parasitism: It refers to that condition in which individuals of two or
more species of parasitiods occur on the same single host at the same time.
E.g. Many of primary tachinid parasitoids of the spruce budworm compete with
ichneumonid parasites.

8. Ecological Compatibility
Temporal Synchronization
Reproductive Potential
Searching Capacity
Dispersal Capacity
Host Specificity And Compatibility
Food Requirement And Habitat
Hyper Parasitism
Culturability

9. Advantages
•Survival is usually good.
•Good host finding ability.
•Only 1 or fewer host is required for
its complete development.
•Short life cycle.
•Synchronized with that pest
density.
•Simple and cheap mass
propagation techniques are
available.
Disadvantages
•Host searching capacity may be
reduced by weather or other
factors.
•Only the female searches.
•Often the best searcher lay few
eggs.
•Synchronization is often difficult.
•Multi and Super Parasitism reduces
the effectiveness.
•Timing of release is important.

10. Free Living Organism Throughout Its Life.
Usually Larger Than Its Host(prey).
Requires More Than One Prey To Complete Its Life Cycle.
Kills It Prey Outrightly.
Wide Host Range.
Long Life Cycle And Good Fecundity.
Good Host Searching Ability, Preying Capacity And Consumption
Rate.
In Terms Of Diversity And Significance Of Biological Control- The
Coleoptera(lady Bird Beetle), Neuroptera(lacewing),
Hymenoptera(ants), Diptera(flies) And Hemiptera(damsel Bug) Are
Outstanding.

11.  Based On Feeding Mechanism :
a) Totally Devour Prey
• Mouthparts – mandibulate / chewing
• Usually capture smaller prey
E.g.: beetles, dragonfly, preying mantids,
etc
b)Do Not Devour Totally
• Mouthparts- piercing and sucking
types
• Capture large prey and suck nutrients
from prey.
e.g.: assasin bugs

12.  Based On With Respect To Host Range:
a) Monophagous: those species that are highly restricted in
their host range. Sometimes limited to one species of prey
(e.g., the vedalia beetle).
b) Oligophagous: those species with a somewhat restricted
host range. Limited to a few species (e.g., aphid-feeding
coccinellids and syrphids).
c)Polyphagous: those species with a broad host range (e.g.,
green lacewing, preying mantis).
Predators may be grouped with respect to the stage
of prey attacked which can either be egg, larval (or
nymphal), pupal, adult, or a combination of these.

13. Stalking Predators:
•Move slowly and quietly towards
prey to catch.
•Very quick and movable
•E.g.: ladybird beetle
Ambush Predators:
•Sit and wait for movable prey to
walk into an ambush
•Less quick and movable
•E.g.: preying mantids

14. Advantages
 Prey is killed rapidly.
 Often all individuals in the
population(male, female,
immatures) searches for prey.
 Synchronization in Predator/Prey
lifecycle is not frequent problem.
 Free living organism throughout its
life.
 Good Preying Capacity.
 Good Consumption Rate.
Disadvantages
 Cannibalistic and may feed on
beneficial insects.
 Can be a PEST. E.g.: fire ant
 Mass production difficult and costly.
 Unable to perform as efficiently as
their native counterparts.
 Relatively short period of timing that
are associated with their prey.

15. Attributes Parasitiod Predator
Food terminology Host Prey
Free living Larva- no
Adult –yes
Yes (both larva and adult)
No. Of host required 1 1 or few
Host range Narrow Narrow
Feeder on pest Only larva Both adult and larva
Effect on host Killed Killed
Fecundity Variable Low
Size compared with host Same or smaller Larger
Effectiveness Low -moderate Low
Commercial availability Low Low
Cost Low Low
Suitability for bio –control Best suited Suited

16. oThe object of biological control is either to introduce natural
enemies or to manipulate existing ones to causes the pest population
to be regulated at density below ECONOMIC INJURY LEVEL.
oIn general, growth of
NE’s population when
its host is abundant,
subsequent decline of
host followed by
decline of NE’s.
FIG.: The Theoretical
relationship between a Pest and
the introduction of an effective
Natural Enemy.

17. oCertainly, Parasitiods have been used more frequently than
Predators in attempts of biological control.
oRatio of Parasitiods to Predators used in the programs have been
estimated at from 2:1 to 4:1.
oAt last, success actually depends on the particular Agro-ecosystem,
the pest(s) involved and the environment in which these interact.

18. •Pedigo,larry.P.1996.Entomology and Pest
management,2nd edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall,
chapter 9.
•Nature.berkeley.edu>biocon......
• www.annualreviews.org>doi>pdf>an.........
•Onlinelibrary.wiley.com>doi>pdf
•Google search

19. Thanks for buzzing around!!!
We had a great time!!