Overlooked lacewings in biological control: The brown lacewing Micromus angulatus and the green lacewing Chrysopa formosa suppress aphid populations in pepper

Arthropods have the potential as biological control agents for various pests in kale plants. Some arthropod species have potential as natural enemies for biological control of plant pests due to their abundance and availability in the ecosystem. Some natural enemy arthropods consist of insects and spiders. Natural enemies found in the location of West Lombok District, NTB act as predators and parasitoids of pests on kale plants. The number of orders found were Araneae, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Odonata and Hymenoptera. Four orders act as predators and one order, Hymenoptera as parasitoids. Natural enemy arthropods found that have the potential as natural enemies of pests in kale plants were found as many as 10 species, namely Argiope catenulate, Cicurina sp.., Oxyopes attenuates, Lepthypanthes tenuis, Cheilomenes sexmaculata, Coreus Marginatus, Leptoglossus occidentali sp., Onychogomphus forcipatus, Agriocnemis pieris, and Doryctobracon areolatus. While in Ogan Ilir District, South Sumatra, 1 species was found that acts as a natural enemy of the Hemiptera order, Gonocerus acuteangulatus.

Status of entomopathogenic nematodes and their symbiotic bacteria from selected countries or regions of the world

Rodent damage significantly affects agriculture around the world. Rodenticides can sometimes control pests, but they are costly, may cause secondary poisoning to nontarget wildlife, and can become less efficient over time due to bait shyness and resistance. Using wildlife as biological pest control agents, particularly barn owls (Tyto spp.), has been suggested as an alternative. Barn owl nest boxes and hunting perches have been added to increase predator pressure, yet few studies have examined their effectiveness. We conducted a field study in forty-five 10 × 10 m2 plots to compare three treatments (biological pest control by adding hunting perches, 1080 rodenticide, and control) on rodent (vole) activity and crop health (alfalfa, Medicago sativa) using unmanned aerial system (UAS) remote sensing and ground surveys. Additionally, we used 24/7 video cameras and a machine learning (YOLOv5) object detection algorithm to determine whether hunting perches increase the presence of diurnal and nocturnal raptors. Rodent activity increased during the study and did not vary among the treatments across all three treatment groups, indicating that neither the biological pest control nor the rodenticides prevented the rodent population from increasing. Moreover, the vegetation indices clearly showed that the alfalfa has become increasingly damaged over time, due to the rising damage caused by rodents. There were significantly more raptors in plots with hunting perches than in control plots and those treated with rodenticides. Specifically, barn owls and diurnal raptors (mainly black-shouldered kites) spent 97.92% more time on hunting perch plots than rodenticide plots and 97.61% more time on hunting perch plots than control plots. The number of barn owls was positively related to vole activity, indicating a bottom-up process, while the number of black-shouldered kites was unrelated to vole activity. Even though hunting perches effectively increased the presence and activity of diurnal and nocturnal raptors, rodent populations increased. Future research should investigate whether hunting perches can increase raptor populations and improve crop health in crops beyond alfalfa, which is known to be particularly challenging to control for voles.

Fungal entomopathogens are widespread in nature and contribute to the natural regulation of insects. They can be exploited for pest management as biological control agents of pests in attempts to improve the sustainability of crop protection. Four types of biological control are recognized: classical, inoculation, inundation, and conservation biological control. Classical biological control is the intentional introduction and permanent establishment of an exotic biological agent for long-term pest management. Inoculation biological control is the intentional release of a living organism as a biological control agent with the expectation that it will multiply and control the pest for an extended period, but not permanently. Inundation biological control is the release of large numbers of mass-produced biological control agents to reduce a pest population without necessarily achieving continuing impact or establishment. Conservation biological control is a modification of the environment or existing practices to protect and enhance specific natural enemies or other organisms to reduce the effect of pests. The traditional and the most popular approach in biological control with entomopathogenic fungi has been to apply the fungal material to the cropping system (as biopesticide), using an inundation biological control strategy. The term biopesticide is used for microbial biological pest control agents that are applied in a similar manner to chemical pesticides. The use of biopesticides can substitute for some (but not all) chemicals and provide environmentally safe and sustainable control of pests but EU legislation and prohibitive registration costs are discouraging the development and commercialization of many promising new products.

Concern over the impact of chemical pesticides on human health and the environment continues to stimulate the study of alternative, biological pest control agents (BCA). In Africa, use of BCA products is just emerging, primarily in the export sector where growers are using a mixture of products from new African companies and products imported from outside Africa. In contrast, although interest in BCA for use in domestic markets has been widely supported by development funding partners for many years, few products have become available to these growers. The limited uptake of BCA in Africa suggests there may be constraints and issues working against their wider implementation. Here, we focus on non-technical constraints and issues facing microbial BCA applied inundatively, but arguments extend to a greater or lesser degree to all BCA. The challenges to wider BCA availability could be overcome by: a more coherent approach to their regulation across the continent; support for BCA development that is based on evidence of need and applicability; and political advocacy to lobby for necessary resources being made available to all stakeholders.

Incorporating beneficial microorganisms in crop production is the most promising strategy for maintaining agricultural productivity and reducing the use of inorganic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. Numerous microorganisms have been described in the literature as biological control agents for pests and diseases, although some have not yet been commercialised due to their lack of viability or efficacy in different crops. Paecilomyces is a cosmopolitan fungus that is mainly known for its nematophagous capacity, but it has also been reported as an insect parasite and biological control agent of several fungi and phytopathogenic bacteria through different mechanisms of action. In addition, species of this genus have recently been described as biostimulants of plant growth and crop yield. This review includes all the information on the genus Paecilomyces as a biological control agent for pests and diseases. Its growth rate and high spore production rate in numerous substrates ensures the production of viable, affordable, and efficient commercial formulations for agricultural use.

Author(s): Peleg, Ori; Nir, Sigalit; Leshem, Yossi; Meyrom, Koby; Aviel, Shauli; Charter, Motti; Roulin, Alexandre; Izhak, Ido | Abstract: Compared to the use of invertebrate as biological pest control of agents of invertebrate pests, the use of vertebrates as biological pest control agents against other vertebrates is less common due to difficulties in manipulating and increasing their populations. Barn owls have been used as biological control agents in different countries, including Israel, which initiated the project in 1982 and as of 2017 has a total of 3,250 nest boxes deployed in the country. Our aim here was to determine whether farmer satisfaction/dissatisfaction response to a survey on the effectiveness of the barn owl project is related to the number of nest boxes and breeding barn owl pairs that the farmers have in their fields; and whether farmers deploy nest boxes as a result of previous rodent damage in their fields. We found that farmers that had incurred rodent damage both used more rodenticides and also installed more nest-boxes (and consequently had more breeding barn owls) than those who reported a lack of damage. Farmers who were satisfied using barn owls had more nest boxes and hence more breeding barn owls, and reported that rodent damage had decreased during the project, as compared to farmers who were not satisfied with the project. The number of nest boxes added to agricultural fields is growing yearly, both due to scientific and national projects and because farmers in Israel purchase nest boxes independently, indicating their belief in the project.

The number of concerns regarding potential non-target effects of invertebrate biological control agents of arthropods has risen over the last decade and an increasing number of studies have since dealt with this topic. Despite some recent international initiatives aimed at providing guidance for risk assessment of biological control agents, detailed methods on how tests should be designed and conducted to assess for potential non-target effects still need to be provided. It is believed that this review comes at an ideal time, giving an overview of methods currently applied in the study of non-target effects in biological control of arthropod pests. It provides the first step towards the ultimate goal of devising guidelines for the appropriate methods that should be universally applied for the assessment and minimisation of potential non-target effects. The main topics that are reviewed here include host specificity (including field surveys, selection of non-target test species and testing protocols), post-release studies, competition, overwintering and dispersal. Finally, a number of conclusions that have emerged from this comprehensive compilation of studies are drawn, addressing potential non-target effects in arthropod biological control.

Importations of biological control agents for insect pests and weeds in New Zealand are summarized and factors contributing to the relative success of the programmes are examined. The establishment rate of 30.9% is similar to that achieved worldwide, but is significantly lower than the rate achieved in the island habitat of Hawaii. The pioneering role of New Zealand in biological control is shown by the high proportion of programmes first attempted in this country. Although this novelty has not reduced the establishment rate, introductions against endemic species have not succeeded. Size of release was not a dominant feature in the establishment of agents. Complete or substantial success is recorded for 17 of the 70 target pests, with a relatively high success rate in forestry programmes. Examples of the influence of climate matching and competitive exclusion are also discussed. Changing practices and attitudes to the introduction of biological control agents are documented to show the increasing emphasis...

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) have been identified as being promising biological control agents of key insect pests. The two EPN genera that have shown potential for use as biological control agents within an integrated pest management programme are Steinernema and Heterorhabditis. Large numbers of EPNs can be produced through either in vivo or in vitro culturing practices. Commercialization and the successful use of EPNs to control pests in North America, Australia, Europe and Asia have confirmed the effectiveness of these organisms as biological control agents. Two endemic EPN isolates to South Africa, Heterorhabditis zealandica (SF41) and H. bacteriophora (SF351) have been shown to be effective control agents of codling moth, Cydia pomonella, false codling moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta, obscure mealybug, Pseudococcus viburni, and the banded fruit weevil, Phlyctinus callosus. Unfortunately, EPNs in large enough numbers for commercial field applications are not yet available on the South African market.

Biological control of Ixodes ricinus larvae and nymphs with Metarhizium anisopliae blastospores

Spider community shift in response to farming practices in a sub-humid agroecosystem of southern Africa

Mechanized production and delivery of biological pesticides presents challenges because the biological agents must remain viable during these processes. This study evaluates the effect of flow through an abrupt contraction, where flow characteristics similar to that found within bioprocesses and spray equipment are developed, on damage to a benchmark biological pest control agent, entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs). An opposed-pistons, contraction flow device generated volumetric flow rates ranging between 8.26 cm(3)/s and 41.3 cm(3)/s. Four EPN species were evaluated: Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Heterorhabditis megidis, Steinernema carpocapsae, and Steinernema glaseri. Damage was quantified by counting living and dead EPNs. Optical and cold field emission scanning electron microscope (CFE-SEM) images provided qualitative information to describe how the damage occurred. The experimental flow field was completely described using FLUENT, a computational fluid dynamics program. Local flow parameters computed in FLUENT were compared to EPN damage. The type and extent of damage varied between EPN species. Damaged Heterorhabditis spp. generally remained whole with an internal rupture located near the center of the body, while Steinernema spp. most often broke into several pieces. The fast-transient stress field generated at the entrance to the contraction caused a momentary tensile loading and then relaxation that damaged the EPNs. At high flow rates, the tensile stresses became large enough to cause failure of the EPN structural membrane. The relative elasticity of the EPN structural membrane may explain the differences in damage observed between the species. It is speculated that the internal rupture of the Heterorhabditis spp. occurred during the processes of stretching and relaxing at the contraction entrance. Appreciable damage was observed at lower average energy dissipation rates for H. bacteriophora (1.23E + 8 W/m(3)), H. megidis (1.72E + 8 W/m(3)), and S. glaseri (2.89E + 8 W/m(3)) compared to S. carpocapsae (3.70E + 8 W/m(3)). Energy dissipation rates within an equipment component should be kept below 1E + 8 W/m(3) to avoid hydrodynamic damage to EPNs. The relationship between average energy dissipation and EPN damage provides important information for future simulation efforts of actual spray equipment components.

Australian fruitspotting bugs, Amblypelta nitida Stal and A. lutescens lutescens Distant (Hemiptera: Coreidae), are major economic pests of macadamia nuts in Australia. They are also pests of approximately a dozen other tropical and subtropical horticultural crops, and minor pests of many more. They are endemic to the east and northern coastal regions of Australia and as such are distributed across the entire growing region of Australia’s macadamia industry. Although the industry is reliant on synthetic pesticides for several major pests and diseases, including fruitspotting bugs, biological control of a major pest, the macadamia nutborer, Cryptophlebia ombrodelta Lower (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), has been successful and is widely adopted. This success has set a precedent within the macadamia industry and provided incentive for research and development of other biological control agents for other important pests. In the early 1990s, a hymenopteran egg parasitoid,

Potential negative effects on biological control by Sancassania polyphyllae (Acari: Acaridae) on an entomopathogenic nematode species