scholarly journals A Review of Interactions between Insect Biological Control Agents and Semiochemicals

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anamika Sharma ◽  
Ramandeep Kaur Sandhi ◽  
Gadi V. P. Reddy

Biological control agents and semiochemicals have become essential parts of the integrated pest management of insect pests over recent years, as the incorporation of semiochemicals with natural enemies and entomopathogenic microbials has gained significance. The potential of insect pheromones to attract natural enemies has mainly been established under laboratory conditions, while semiochemicals from plants have been used to attract and retain natural enemies in field conditions using strategies such as trap crops and the push–pull mechanism. The best-known semiochemicals are those used for parasitoids–insect pest–plant host systems. Semiochemicals can also aid in the successful dispersal of entomopathogenic microbials. The use of semiochemicals to disseminate microbial pathogens is still at the initial stage, especially for bacterial and viral entomopathogens. Future studies should focus on the integration of semiochemicals into management strategies for insects, for which several semiochemical compounds have already been studied. More effective formulations of microbial agents, such as granular formulations of entomopathogenic fungi (EPFs), along with bio-degradable trap materials, could improve this strategy. Furthermore, more studies to evaluate species-specific tactics may be needed, especially where more than one key pest is present.

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-125
Author(s):  
Erniwati Erniwati ◽  
◽  
Tiara Sayusti ◽  
Woro Anggraitoningsih Noerdjito ◽  
◽  
...  

Plectranthus rotundifolius is an edible tuber that widely distributed in Asia, covers India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Plectranthus rotundifolius which commonly called as black potato in Indonesia is potential to be developed for national food diversification due to its high carbohydrates. However, one of challenges in black potato culture is the existence of moth pest infected the plants. This study was aimed to evaluate the status of Paliga auratalis moth as an insect pest in black potato plant and to develop the countermeasure strategy through its natural enemies. Observation and collection of P. auratalis and other potential insect pests was conducted in 12 black potato plantations located in five provinces of Java Island. The life cycle of P. auratalis was observed in the laboratory of Zoology Division, Research Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Science. Rearing of unhealthy P. auratalis larvae was also conducted to observe its natural enemies. We identified five species of moths infested black potato plants i.e.: Argyrograma sp., Pycnarmon cribat, Pleuroptya punctimarginalis, Rehimena diemenalis, and Paliga auratalis. Based on our observation, we confirmed that. P. auratalis is the main insect pest in Java Island with serious stack status. P. auratalis spend its lifecycle from eggs to adult between 25 – 32 days with the total eggs about 60-80 per female individual. We also identified two parasitic wasps as the natural enemies of P.auratalis i.e.: Aspanteles sp. and Cryptopimpla sp. which are potential to be a biological control agents of P. auratalis.


Insects ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shovon Chandra Sarkar ◽  
Endong Wang ◽  
Shengyong Wu ◽  
Zhongren Lei

Companion planting is a well-known strategy to manage insect pests and support a natural enemy population through vegetative diversification. Trap cropping is one such type of special companion planting strategy that is traditionally used for insect pest management through vegetative diversification used to attract insect pests away from the main crops during a critical time period by providing them an alternative preferred choice. Trap crops not only attract the insects for feeding and oviposition, but also act as a sink for any pathogen that may be a vector. Considerable research has been conducted on different trap crops as companion plant species to develop improved pest management strategies. Despite this, little consensus exists regarding optimal trap cropping systems for diverse pest management situations. An advantage of trap cropping over an artificially released natural enemy-based biological control could be an attractive remedy for natural enemies in cropping systems. Besides, many trap crop species can conserve natural enemies. This secondary effect of attracting natural enemies may be an advantage compared to the conventional means of pest control. However, this additional consideration requires a more knowledge-intensive background to designing an effective trap cropping system. We have provided information based on different trap crops as companion plant, their functions and an updated list of trap cropping applications to attract insect pests and natural enemies that should be proven as helpful in future trap cropping endeavors.


Environmental and public health problems arising from the use of chemical insecticides have led to an increasing demand for alternatives for insect pest control. Together with this, widespread public concern resulting in governmental bans on many of the most effective insecticides and development of insecticide resistance has severely reduced the range of useful insecticides available. Alternative control measures such as the biological control of pest insects with parasitoids and predators and microbial biocides have been in field use for several decades. Although these alternatives are being continually improved, most insect pests are nonetheless still controlled with chemical insecticides. This book presents the latest work on the biological control of insects using nematodes; it covers a range of topics that will help provide a better understanding of the potential problems involved in developing these nematodes as biological control agents. Nematodes infect hundreds of different species from most orders of insects and affect their insect hosts in a variety of ways.


1991 ◽  
Vol 67 (5) ◽  
pp. 500-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. G. Nealis

Forest insect pest management differs from pest management in other renewable-resource industries because of the relative complexity and stability of the forest environment. An important component of this complexity is the rich fauna of natural enemies attacking most forest insect pests. Understanding the relationship between forest insect pests and their natural enemies would permit better insight into the dynamics of pest populations.The active release of natural enemies in inoculative or inundative release strategies is a direct application of biological control to pest management. The conservation of resident natural enemies is an indirect biological control method with great potential. Knowledge of the ecology of natural enemies can be used to modify other forest practices such as reforestation and insecticide use to conserve or enhance the action of natural enemies.


1964 ◽  
Vol 96 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 122-122
Author(s):  
J.S. Kelleher

The introduction of natural enemies of an insect pest from foreign countries is one method of biological control which relies on the addition of missing factors to increase pest mortality. The Research Institute, Belleville is the Canadian agent that obtains and provides biological control information and material required anywhere in Canada from foreign countries. This is usually done through the Commonwealth Institute of Biological Control.


Author(s):  
Patricia J. Vittum

This chapter assesses biological control strategies that can reduce turfgrass insect pest populations. Biological control refers to the suppression of pest populations through the activity of living organisms or their by-products. Although a majority of this book is devoted to understanding turfgrass pests, most organisms associated with turfgrass are not pests but instead may be considered beneficial because they reduce thatch, help recycle soil nutrients, or are natural enemies of pest species. Pest outbreaks can sometimes be traced to the absence of natural control agents in the turf environment. Vertebrate and invertebrate predators, insect parasitoids, and microbial pathogens may act as natural enemies of turfgrass pests. Although the effect of one species of natural enemy may be minor, the combined effects of predators, parasitoids, and pathogens can cause considerable reductions in pest populations. Additional agents can be considered as biological controls. These include fungal endophytes (which confer host-plant resistance to some insects), botanicals (botanically derived insecticides), and synthetic compounds that mimic the activity of insect-produced compounds, such as growth hormones and pheromones.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (02) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gitanjali Devi ◽  
Dhrubajyoti Nath

Biological control agents have become increasingly important component in integrated pest management programme. Entomopathogenic nematodes are effective biological control agents for many important insect pests of vegetable crops. Therefore entomopathogenic nematodes are gaining attention in the field of biocontrol research worldwide. With the development and improvement of isolation and identification technique many novel species and strains have been utilized for management of several insect pests. This review aims to explore the potentiality of entomopathogenic nematode species against economically important insect pest of vegetables in India as well as in other countries.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 274-279
Author(s):  
U. Isah ◽  
M.A. Ahmad

Hundred thousand tons of chemical insecticides are used annually in Nigeria to combat insect disease vectors especially agricultural pests, but this sort of vector control method is gradually being substituted due to their  environmental effects on non-target beneficial insects especially vertebrates through contamination of food and water. To counteract this contamination, attention, efforts and researches were directed to the use of biological control agents including insect pathogens. As a result, the use of bio insecticide, as a component of integrated pest management (IPM), has been gaining acceptance over the world. Microbial pathogens comprise of organisms which cause disease, these organisms are disseminated in the pest population in large quantity in a manner similar to application of chemical pesticides.  Insects like other organisms are susceptible to a variety of diseases caused by different groups of microorganisms including virus, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes. Microbial pathogens of insects are intensively investigated to develop environment friendly pest management strategies in agriculture. Microbial insecticides represent today the best alternative to chemical insecticides in controlling insect pests, they are safe for non-target species and human health are believed to show low persistence in the environment. This short review indicates that microbial insecticides are the safe alternative way possessing all the requirements to replace chemical insecticides hence, they can be utilized in pest management and control. Keywords: Bio-insecticides, Microorganisms, biological control, pest, chemical insecticides


EDIS ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Cuda ◽  
Patricia Prade ◽  
Carey R. Minteer-Killian

In the late 1970s, Brazilian peppertree, Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi (Sapindales: Anacardiaceae), was targeted for classical biological control in Florida because its invasive properties (see Host Plants) are consistent with escape from natural enemies (Williams 1954), and there are no native Schinus spp. in North America. The lack of native close relatives should minimize the risk of damage to non-target plants from introduced biological control agents (Pemberton 2000). [...]


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