Parasitoids in Pest Management

Parasitoids in Pest Management
Author: Omkar
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 437
Release: 2023-03-13
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1000840549

Pests cause economic damage to crops and stored products, while vectors are responsible for the transmission of disease-causing agents in human beings and livestock. Although the application of synthetic pesticides in agriculture has given immediate relief, it has also caused well-known side effects, leading to a general consensus among entomologists and agriculturists to shift towards other ecofriendly pest management. Insect natural enemies consisting of predators, parasitoids, and pathogens have attracted the attention of scientists across the globe. These natural enemies exist in agroecosystems and suppress the populations of pests. Parasitoids are farmers’ friends and the most successful group of natural enemies. Highly specialised in their host choice, the female parasitoid searches for a suitable host to lay eggs and larvae in, on or near the hosts. Exploiting this potency of parasitoids may yield successful results in controlling notorious pests in an ecofriendly way. This book covers information on the important biocontrol agents effective in pest suppression. It starts with insect parasitic groups followed by specific groups of parasitoids. It is hoped that the book presents a comprehensive account of beneficial parasitoirds, and will be useful to undergraduate and postgraduate students of Entomology, Biological Control, Plant Protection, Agricultural Zoology, and Zoology, besides those involved in competitive examinations and policy planning. Features: Each chapter has been written by very experienced specialists Every chapter includes Learning Objectives and Points to Remember This book offers comprehensive knowledge of parasitoids and their application in pest management in a rational way

Parasitoid Wasps of South East Asia

Parasitoid Wasps of South East Asia
Author: Buntika A. Butcher
Publisher: CABI
Total Pages: 494
Release: 2023-12-22
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1800620594

Parasitoid wasps are cosmopolitan, numerous and enormously diverse with probably one million or more species worldwide, most of which occur in the moist tropics. Their ecological importance is enormous although perhaps most evident in their major roles in the control of insect pest populations. In natural ecosystems they are integral in regulating populations of a vast number of insects, and therefore are key players in terrestrial food webs. Knowledge of their biology is still very poor because the current state of taxonomy is still in its infancy in most parts of the world.In this book, we provide an overview of the more than 30 families of parasitoid wasps that occur in the 11 countries in South East Asia. Particular emphasis is given to those most commonly encountered and reared, as well as to those used in biological control programmes. Outlines of the morphology, biology, ecology and behaviour of each family, as well as of various important subfamilies are presented. The current state of taxonomy in the region is summarised. Other chapters cover basic biology, behaviour, morphological terminology, phylogeny and methods of specimen collecting, preparation and rearing with particular relevance to the tropics. Modern molecular approaches to speeding taxonomic description of hyperdiverse taxa are considered in depth. All groups are illustrated with colour photographs. This book will be of value to professional entomologists, academics, entomology students and the growing body of amateur entomologists and insect photographers.

Annotated Keys to the Genera of Nearctic Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera)

Annotated Keys to the Genera of Nearctic Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera)
Author: Gary A. P. Gibson
Publisher: NRC Research Press
Total Pages: 814
Release: 1997
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780660166698

This publication presents illustrated keys to the 19 families and 706 described genera of Chalcidoidea known to occur in the Nearctic region (minimally America north of Mexico, but also including those areas of Mexico generally considered as having a Nearctic insect fauna). The first three chapters provide an introduction to this superfamily of wasps, most of whose members are parasites of other insects; a review of chalcidoid morphology as related to terms used in the keys & diagnoses; and an overview of the superfamily, including a 41 couplet key to families. Each of the remaining 19 chapters reviews one family & includes sections on recognition, systematics & relationships, biology, literature, an annotated key to the Nearctic genera, and for larger families an index to genera based on couplet number. Over 1,800 line drawings & electron micrographs illustrate the keys. Annotations include references to existing keys to species, estimated number of species, and known distribution & host range in the region.

Biological Control of Insect and Mite Pests in Iran

Biological Control of Insect and Mite Pests in Iran
Author: Javad Karimi
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 621
Release: 2021-04-28
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3030639908

The book provides a reference to biological control of arthropod pests in agriculture and of public health importance in Iran. A quick glance over the literature shows a long history of biocontrol attempts in the country. Some historically important events highlighting the interest of Iranian academic, research and extension fields to the natural enemies and their applied aspects are provided. Iran, with an exception of the former USSR, was a pioneer in both basic and applied biocontrol in West Asia. The book consists of four parts: three parts for predators, parasitoids and pathogens, and last part for other approaches and analyses of the current state of biological control in Iran. The book provides the most up-to-date information on pest control and related topics of entomology in Iran. The chapters are written by scholars from major Universities and research centers in Iran.

Biocontrol-Based Integrated Management of Oilseed Rape Pests

Biocontrol-Based Integrated Management of Oilseed Rape Pests
Author: Ingrid H. Williams
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 461
Release: 2010-06-16
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 904813983X

Oilseed rape is a major arable crop in both Europe and North America. It is attacked by unique complexes of insect pests still largely controlled through the application of chemical insecticides. Crop management systems for the future must combine sustainability with environmental acceptability to satisfy both social and economic demands. This book, in its 17 chapters each led by a world expert, reviews research progress towards developing integrated pest management systems for the crop that enhance conservation biocontrol. This approach is particularly timely because of the development in Europe of insecticide resistance in the pollen beetle, a major pest of the crop. The past decade has seen considerable progress in our knowledge of the parasitoids and predators that contribute to biocontrol, of their distribution patterns, and their behavioural ecology, both within and without the crop. There is potential for natural enemy conservation through modification of within-field crop husbandry practices, as well as, on the landscape scale, through habitat manipulation to encourage vegetational diversity. This book will prove invaluable as a text for researchers, university teachers, graduate scientists, extension workers and growers involved in integrated pest management.