Pests cause damage to the economic value of crops and stored products, while vectors are responsible for the transmission of disease-causing agents in human beings and livestock. Although application of synthetic pesticides in agriculture gives immediate relief, it also causes well-known side effects, leading to a consensus among entomologists and agriculturists to shift towards other ecofriendly pest management methods. Natural enemies of insects including their 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 specialized/generalized in their prey choice, active stages of predators search for a suitable prey, attack or kill the prey and consume prey within a short handling time. Predatory ability is known to increase with increase in prey density. A single predator may devour several prey individuals. Exploiting this potency of parasitoids may yield successful results in controlling notorious pests in an ecofriendly way.
This book provides information on the important biocontrol agents that are effective in pest suppression. It starts with insect parasitic groups followed by specific group of parasitoids. It is hoped that th presents a comprehensive account of beneficial parasitoids 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.
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