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Understanding Natural Enemies: Predators

This document discusses natural enemies of insects, focusing on predators and parasitoids. It defines predators as species that kill and consume other animals for development, sustenance, and reproduction. Juvenile predators consume prey for growth while adults use prey for maintenance and reproduction. Important non-insect predators include spiders, mites, birds, mammals, fish and reptiles. Major groups of predatory insects discussed are hemipterans, neuropterans, coleopterans, and dipterans. Most predators require high prey densities and an efficient searching stage to locate prey to complete their lifecycles.

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Arbaz Khan
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282 views24 pages

Understanding Natural Enemies: Predators

This document discusses natural enemies of insects, focusing on predators and parasitoids. It defines predators as species that kill and consume other animals for development, sustenance, and reproduction. Juvenile predators consume prey for growth while adults use prey for maintenance and reproduction. Important non-insect predators include spiders, mites, birds, mammals, fish and reptiles. Major groups of predatory insects discussed are hemipterans, neuropterans, coleopterans, and dipterans. Most predators require high prey densities and an efficient searching stage to locate prey to complete their lifecycles.

Uploaded by

Arbaz Khan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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NATURAL ENEMIES:

PREDATORS & PARASITOIDS


Predators
Predators are species that have a life
stage that kills and eats living animals
for
development,
sustenance, and
reproduction.
Juvenile predators use prey
for growth,
whereas adults use prey for
Maintenance and
reproduction

Robber fly feeding on wasp


NON-INSECT PREDATORS
Non-insect predators are
found in several groups of
invertebrates such as
spiders,
mites,
and snails,
and In groups of vertebrates,
including
birds,
mammals,
fish,
and reptiles.
NON-INSECT PREDATORS
Spiders (Aranae)
All are predaceous.
They often show
habitat specialization
but rarely prey
specialization.
They lack host specificity and
are not suited for introduction to
new regions to control specific
pests.
NON-INSECT PREDATORS - Mites
Some 27 mite families prey on or parasitize invertebrates,
but only eight are important to biological control:
Phytoseiidae,
Stigmaeidae,
Anystidae,
Bdellidae,
Cheyletidae,
Hemisarcoptidae,
Laelapidae, and
Macrochelidae
are the most important and best known.
NON-INSECT PREDATORS - Mites
Several phytoseiids are reared
commercially for use against spider mites
in greenhouses and on high value
outdoor crops such as strawberries.
NON-INSECT PREDATORS – Vertebrates – Birds

Many
birds and small
mammals feed on insects,
NON-INSECT PREDATORS –
Vertebrates - Fish
Fish have been used effectively as
biological control agents against
mosquito larvae.
Introductions of such
mosquito fish, however, can
damage native fish
populations through
competition or
hybridization.
MAJOR GROUPS OF PREDATORY
INSECTS
Important predaceous insects of
potential use in biological control are
found in
Hemiptera,
Neuroptera
Coleoptera, and
Diptera
Predatory bugs (Hemiptera)
Anthocoridae
Minute pirate bugs are important
predators of mites, thrips, aphids, and
eggs and young larvae of pests such as
European corn borer.
Predatory bugs (Hemiptera)
Geocoridae
Big-eyed bugs
(Geocoris spp.) are
significant predators of
whitefly nymphs in
cotton,
and of mites, thrips,
and aphids in orchards.
Predatory bugs (Hemiptera)
Nabidae
Nabids feed on
Insect eggs,
aphids,
and other mall, slow,
or soft-bodied insects.
Predatory lacewings (Neuroptera)
Larvae of green lacewing (Chrysopidae)
are predaceous on
aphids,
whiteflies,
mealybugs,
thrips, and
eggs of various insects.
Predatory beetles (Coleoptera)
Coccinellidae
Coccinellids are predators of
aphids,
scales,
eggs of various
insects,
and spider mites.
Predatory flies (Diptera)
Cecidomyiidae
These flies are
predaceous on
aphids,
scales,
whiteflies,
thrips, and
mites.
Predatory flies (Diptera)
Syrphidae
Syrphids are important predators
of aphids
OVERVIEW OF PREDATOR
BIOLOGY
Most predators cannot complete
their life cycles on a single host,
but must find, subdue, and
consume a series of hosts to
mature and develop eggs.
Consequently, most predators require
high prey densities and must have a
mobile, highly efficient searching
stage to locate prey.
OVERVIEW OF PREDATOR
BIOLOGY
Unlike many parasitoids, predators
have nearly even sex ratios (50:50).
In most instances, unmated female
predators will either not lay eggs,
or, if oviposition occurs, the infertile
eggs do not hatch.
Predators vary in the breadth of their
prey ranges.

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