BENEFICIAL ORGANISM PARASITOIDS 1. Common names: Braconid Wasp Scientific name: Phanerotoma sp.

Family:Braconidae Order- Hymenoptera Class: insect Phylum: Arthropoda Physical Description: Harmless to humans and animals. Species can vary in color from yellowish, black, or red and are usually 1/10 to 1/4 inches long. The eggs are laid in the bodies of host insects, where the white worm-like larva develops. Life Cycle: Adult wasps lay eggs in the bodies of host insects, usually aphids and caterpillars. Larvae are white, wormlike and develop within the host. Several generations a year. Hibernate as larvae or pupae in host insect. Hosts are usually caterpillars or aphids. Silken cocoons in various forms can be seen on the backs of caterpillars. The naked Braconid Wasp species does not form a cocoon. Complete metamorphosis.

Importance: Control aphids, caterpillar and moth larvae, fly larvae, and aphids. Adults help pollinate flowers. Distribution-distributed worldwide 2. Common Name: Tachinid Flies Scientific Name: Bombyliopsis abrupta Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Diptera Family: Tachinidae Appearance: The family Tachinidae is the most important family of parasitic flies providing biological control. Tachinid larvae are internal parasites of immature beetles, butterflies, moths, sawflies, earwigs, grasshoppers, or true bugs. Adults measure between 3 and 14 mm (<1/2 inch), are often dark, robust, hairy and resemble houseflies, but with very stout bristles at the tips of their abdomens. Life Cycle: SPRING/EARLY SUMMER A: The parasite spends the winter as first-instars larvae inside overwintering adult elm leaf beetles. B: Erynniopsis complete development after beetles begin feeding on foliage in the

spring and adult parasites emerge from adult beetles; this parasite emergence is not readily observed. C: Each fly lays one egg on each of several dozen beetle larvae. Eggs hatch and the parasite larvae enter their host and feed inside. D: During spring and early summer parasitized beetle larvae are killed. Erynniopsis antennata then develop into black to reddish, cylinder- or teardrop-shaped parasite pupae at the tree base among yellowish beetle pupae.

Imporatance: Help to control many troublesome insect. Tachinid larvae destroy the eggs of many pest insect,including caterpillars, beetles, true bugs,flies,grasshoppers, and katydids Distribution: Species occur in many habitats in many regions, including Neotropical, Nearctic,[1] Afrotropical,[2]Palaearctic, Oriental, Australasian and Oceanic. 3. Common Name: armored scale parasites Scientific name: Aphytis melinus Family: Diaspididae

Class:Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Phylum: Arthropoda Appearance: Aphytis melinus is an important parasite of several species of armored scales including California red scale, latania scale, San Jose scale, and oleander scale. Several other closely related (and difficult to distinguish) Aphytis species attack various armored scales in California. Aphytis feeds on and oviposits in immature scales, preferring virgin adult female scales. Adult Aphytis are tiny wasps, measuring approximately 2 mm (1/16 in) long, are yellow and have short knobby antennae. Aphytis melinus adults can be confused with the adult male California red scale; however, the male scale has long antennae, a dark band around its back, and only one pair of wings. Life Cycle: Females of many scale species reproduce without mating (there are no males). At maturity, adult females produce eggs that are usually hidden under their bodies or covers. Eggs hatch into tiny crawlers (mobile first-instar nymphs), which are yellow to orangish in most species. Crawlers walk over the plant surface, are blown by wind to other plants, or can be inadvertently moved by people or birds. They settle down and begin feeding within a day or two after emergence.

Imporatnce -The black parlatoria scale has long been considered one of the major pests of citrus in certain areas. In some countries the scale may not be considered a serious pest, but populations occasionally become a problem in localized areas. Heavy infestations of this scale cause chlorosis and premature drop of leaves, dieback of twigs and branches, stunting and distortion of fruit, and fruit drop before it is mature. Perhaps the most characteristic damage is the virtually unremovable scale cover on the fruit. Generally, the scale is so firmly attached to the fruit that it cannot be removed, causing rejection in most fresh fruit markets. Distribution: worldwide distributed 4.Common Name: Egg Parasites Scientific name: Trichogramma spp. Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Trichogrammatidae Appearance: Adults are approximately 1/25 inch (1 mm) or lessthe size of a period at the end of a sentence. They often have wing hairs (setae) arranged in rows. Their body is relatively compact and the antennae are short. Trichogramma species are difficult to identify due to their minute size and generally uniform morphological features Life Cycle: Trichogramma spp. undergo complete metamorphosis. The adult wasp lays an egg within a recently laid host egg, and as the wasp larva develops, it eats the host embryo, causing the egg to turn black. Because their life cycle from egg to adult is about 7 to 10 days, these parasites have many more generations than their hosts, and their populations can increase rapidly.

Importance: Trichogramma turns the eggs of some caterpillar species black. This is the best way to detect parasitization by Trichogramma. Distribution: Helicoverpa egg parasitoids occur in all cotton districts. 5. Common Name: Aphidius spp. Scientific name: Aphidius spp. Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Aphidiidae Appearance: Aphidius adults are small wasps, typically less than 1/8 inch (3 mm) long. During their larval stage, most Aphidius feed within the body of an aphid. Complete metamorphosis takes place within the host. The female wasp lays an egg in an aphid. When the egg hatches, the wasp larva feeds inside the aphid. As the larva matures the aphid is killed and becomes slightly puffy or mummified, usually turning tan or golden in color. Life Cycle: A: An adult parasite lays an egg inside a live aphid. B: The egg hatches into a parasite larva that grows as it feeds on the aphid's insides. C: After killing the aphid, the parasite pupates. D: An adult wasp emerges from the dead aphid, then flies off to find and parasitize other aphids.

Importance: These wasps can also be used in combination with predators, such as green lacewings or aphid midges, for a complete aphid biological control program in greenhouses. However, they may not be compatible with entomopathogenic fungi (eg. Beauveria bassiana) which kill the parasite larvae inside the aphid. Distribution:more distributed in Europe. 6. Common Name:Citrus mealybug parasite Scientific name: Leptomastix dactylopii Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family:Encyrtidae Appearance: Leptomastix dactylopii is a yellowish brown wasp, less than 1/8 inch (about 3 mm) in length. The adult female lays its eggs in late-instars mealy bug nymphs and young adults. After hatching the larva feeds inside the host and develops through four larval stages. During development it turns the mealy bug into a brown, barrel-shaped mummy. Metamorphosis is complete. After pupating, the emerging adult wasp chews a hole through the mummy and exits. Life Cycle: This parasite prefers hosts in warm, sunny, humid environments. At warm temperatures, Leptomastix can complete one generation in about 3 weeks.

Importance: Naturally occurring parasite populations often provide good biological control of citrus mealy bug outdoors. It also has been released in combination with the mealy bug destroyer to successfully control citrus mealy bug in greenhouses. Distribution: mostly occurred in Australia 7.Common Name: alfalfa butterfly parasite Scientific name: Cotesia medicaginis Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Braconidae Appearance: Cotesia medicaginis undergoes complete metamorphosis. The adult wasp is black and shiny with long antennae roughly 0.12 inch (3 mm) long.

Life Cycle: The life cycle of the alfalfa caterpillar is closely synchronized with the hay cutting cycle, taking about one cutting cycle to complete. Four to seven generations occur between May and October.

Importance: important in controlling undesirable insect. Distribution: The Alfalfa Butterfly is found from the Maritime Provinces, west the Pacific, south into Florida and Mexico (Klots, 1979, 184). 8.Common Name: Whitefly parasite

Scientific name: Encarsia formosa

Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Aphelinidae Appearance: Adult female Encarsia formosa are tiny wasps (<1 mm in length) with a dark brown to black head and thorax and a bright yellow abdomen. Males are dark in color, but are rare.

The parasite prefers to lay eggs in thirdinstar and early fourth-instar whiteflies, which darken (the black scale stage) about 7 to 10 days after becoming parasitized. The parasite develops through three larval stages within the whitefly nymph, then pupates, emerges as an adult, and flies off to parasitize other whiteflies.
Life cycle:

Importance: E. formosa is used for whitefly control in greenhouses on tomatoes,

strawberries and in floricultural and nursery plants. Biological control of the greenhouse whitefly can often be provided in enclosed areas by introducing sufficient numbers of commercially available E. formosa.Release programs of Encarsia formosa are most effective when the initial population of whiteflies is quite low (only a few whiteflies per plant) and long-residual insecticides have not been applied in advance of the parasite release. For biological control to be successful use more selective and less persistent insecticides, and control ants since they disrupt the oviposition of E. formosa.

Distribution:Its present known distribution in the new world. The species is probably much more widely distributed, but is easily overlooked unless a special research is made for it. 9.Common Name:

Elm leaf beetle parasite

Scientific name: Erynniopsis antennata

Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Diptera Family: Tachinidae Appearance: Adults are small, black, robust, and hairy. They look like houseflies, except that they are smaller, about 3/16 inch (4 mm) long, and have stout bristles at the tips of their abdomens. Life Cycle: Metamorphosis is complete. The female fly deposits one egg on a late-instar beetle larva. After hatching, the larva enters its host and feeds and pupates inside. Black to reddish, cylinder or teardrop shaped pupae occur during spring and summer at the base of trees among the yellowish beetle pupae.

Importance: It decreases infestation,effective, and it prevents severe damages Distribution:Introduce from Europe to US IN THE 1830S and was reported in California in the 1920s. It has two or more generation a year in most areas of California. Overwintering adults emerge in the sring to lay eggs on the elm foliage. 10.Common Name:Caterpillar parasite

Scientific name: Hyposoter exiguae

Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Ichneumonidae Appearance: The adult wasp is black with lighter colored abdomen and legs, and is 0.25
to 0.50 inch (6-12 mm) long. The larva is a light, translucent green. Life Cycle: Hyposoter exiguae undergoes complete metamorphosis. The adult wasp lays its egg in the caterpillar. After hatching, the larva develops within the caterpillar, and the host caterpillar shrinks and becomes hard and brittle. The parasite then spins a cocoon inside the larval skin, or the caterpillar skin splits and the parasite emerges and pupates outside the host. Parasite development time from oviposition until adult emergence is about 1 month.

Importance:Important biological control of tomato Distribution: Mostly are distributed in U.S. 11. Common Name:

Cottony cushion scale parasite

Scientific name: Cryptochaetum iceryae

Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Diptera Family:Cryptochaetidae Appearance: The Cryptochaetum adult is a dark blue or green to black fly, about 1/12
inch (2 mm) long, with short rounded, grayish wings. One fly generation requires about 1 month in summer, with up to five or six generations developing per year. Life Cycle: the female Cryptochaetum parasite lays one egg in small scales and a dozen or more in larger hosts. The larva feeds and usually pupates inside its host. Pupae are black with two tiny protruding breathing tubes (spiracles). Metamorphosis is complete.

Importance: The cottony cushion scale can severely damage trees, resets, and

nursery stock. Decreased tree vitality, fruit drop, and defoliation result from the feeding of this scale. Most damage occurs from the feeding of the early immature stages of the scale on the leaves, where they settle in rows along the midrib and veins, and on the smaller twigs. The older nymphs continue to feed, but migrate to the larger twigs, and finally, as adults, they settle on the larger branches and trunk. This scale is seldom found on the fruit. Added damage can result from the accumulation of sooty mold due to the honeydew excreted by the scale.
Distribution: The cottony cushion scale is found throughout tropical and

subtropical areas. In the United States, this pest is found in southern California, Arizona, the Gulf Coast states and North Carolina at least as far north and west as Raleigh. Winter temperatures of -12C (about 10F) are said to limit the spread of cottony cushion scales outdoors, although it can survive in greenhouses in much colder climates. 12. Common Name: walnut aphid parasite
Scientific name: Trioxys pallidus
Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Aphidiidae Appearance: The adult wasp has a shiny black head and thorax and a long, slender, yellowish or orangish abdomen. The adult is roughly 2 to 3 mm (0.08 0.12 inch) long.

Life Cycle: Trioxys pallidus undergoes complete metamorphosis. The female wasp lays an egg inside aphid nymphs. The egg hatches into a larva, which consumes the inside of the aphid and pupates in the mummified aphid. The adult wasps emerge through a small exit hole. To monitor for Trioxys pallidus, look for aphid mummies.

Importance:plays an important role in the natural control of the dusky-veined aphid.

Distribution: This wasp was introduced to California from France for control of walnut aphid. Since its establishment in the late 1960s it has virtually eliminated the walnut aphid as a pest in most orchards, except when disrupted by broad-spectrum pesticides applied for other pests. PREDATORS

1.Common Name:

Western predatory mite

Scientific name: Galendromus occidentalis

Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Arachnida Order: Acari Family: Phytoseiidae AppearanceLike other mites, western predatory mites do not have antennae, segmented bodies, or wings. They pass through an egg stage, a six-legged larval stage and 2 eight-legged immature nymphal stages before becoming adults.

Most mites, such as this Phytoseiulus persimilis, hatch from eggs and develop through three immature stages before becoming an adult. The adult female lays a light-orangish egg near prey that darkens before hatching. A six-legged
Life Cycle:

mite larva emerges and in many predaceous species is relatively inactive, apparently not feeding before molting to the nymph stage. The eight-legged protonymph, deutonymph, and adult are active searchers and begin feeding almost immediately after molting.

Importance: he western predatory mite is commercially available and is commonly released against Tetranychus spp. spider mites such as the Pacific spider mite and the twospotted spider mite. Effective control of spider mite pests has been documented in various many crops and ornamentals. The western predatory mite tolerates hot climates as long as the relative humidity is above about 50 percent.
Distribution:Europe and North America

2.Common Name:

Vedalia beetle

Scientific name: Rodolia cardinalis

Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Coleoptera Family: Coccinellidae Appearance: Adults are very small, densely pubescent, red and black lady beetles, about 2.5-4 mm (1/16-3/16 inch) long. Eggs are red, young larvae are reddish, and pupal cases are whitish. Life cycle: Adult beetles lay eggs underneath the scale or attached to scale egg sacs. There are 8 generations per year in the cooler coastal areas of California, and 12 generations per year in the hot, dry inland areas. A female will lay from 150-190 eggs during her lifetime.

Importance: he introduction of the vedalia beetle is considered to be the beginning of classical biological control. - Cornell University This species proved to be an immediate and spectacular success, and this success precipitated a wave of coccinellid introductions ... Available records show that 179 species have been intentionally imported into North America; 8 species have become established through accidental introductions, 5 of these had been intentionally introduced but did not become established where released. A total of 26 species of foreign Coccinellidae are now definitely or possibly established in North America, 16 of these resulting from intentional releases. (2)

Distribution: The California population is the sole basis for colonies established in Egypt, Cyprus, the Soviet Union, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Peru, Chile, Hawaii, the Philippines, Guam, Uruguay, Argentina, Taiwan, and Palau, suggesting this population has an enormous ability to adapt.