Biological Insect Pest Suppression

The subject area embraced by the term "biological control" in its classical sense is very broad indeed. The term itself was apparently first used in 1919 by the late Harry S. Smith, and was then used specifically in reference to the suppression of insect populations by the actions of their indigenous or introduced natural enemies. The California school of biological control specialists who followed in Smith's footsteps have traditionally differentiated "natural" biological control (by indigenous natural enemies) and "applied" biological control (by man-introduced natural enemies). Subsequently, the philosophy broadened beyond the original narrow concern with population suppression of insects (and especially pest insects), to embrace directed activities against mites or other arthropod pests, various invertebrate and vertebrate pests, weeds, and organisms producing disease in humans or their domestic animals and plants. The techniques used in these activities also multiplied beyond the original concern with natural enemies. The subjects area discussed in this book is, at the same time, broader and more restricted than that covered in other books on "biological control. " On the one hand, the treatment here is restrictive in that, with rare exception, we have limited ourselves to dealing only with ideas and examples involving the suppression of insect pests through human activity or intervention in the environment.

1 Glossary.- 2 Historical, Theoretical, and Philosophical Bases of Biological Insect Pest Suppression.- 2.1 Historical Development.- 2.1.1 Early History to 1888.- 2.1.2 Middle History to 1940.- 2.1.3 Middle History 1940 to 1962.- 2.1.4 Recent History (1962) to the Present.- 2.2 Dynamics of Natural Populations as a Basis for Biological Insect Pest Suppression.- 2.2.1 The Ground Rules.- 2.2.2 “Natural Control”: The Ecological Basis for Biological Insect Pest Suppression.- 2.2.3 Processes Responsible for Modifying the Size of Insect Populations.- 2.2.4 Biological Insect Pest Suppression: Applied Quantitative Ecology.- 2.3 Introducing Beneficial Organisms: Questions, Concepts, and Procedures.- 2.3.1 Desirable Attributes of Beneficial Organisms.- 2.3.2 Steps in Establishing a Biological Control Program.- 2.3.3 Basic Ecological Principles Bearing on Biological Insect Pest Suppression.- 3 Organisms Used in Classical Biological Insect Pest Suppression.- 3.1 Parasitoids.- 3.1.1 Taxonomic Relationships.- 3.1.2 Biological Relationships.- 3.1.3 Life Cycles of Selected Parasitoids.- 3.1.4 Mass Propagation Programs for Representative Parasitoids.- 3.1.5 Examples of Pest Suppression Utilizing Parasitoids.- 3.2 Nematodes.- 3.2.1 Taxonomic Relationships.- 3.2.2 Biological Relationships.- 3.2.3 Examples of Insect Pest Suppression Utilizing Nematodes.- 3.3 Insect Predators.- 3.3.1 Taxonomic Relationships.- 3.3.2 Biological Relationships.- 3.3.3 Life Cycles of Selected Predators.- 3.3.4 Mass Propagation Program for a Representative Predator: Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae).- 3.3.5 Examples of Pest Suppression Utilizing Insect Predators.- 3.4 Invertebrate Predators.- 3.4.1 Spiders (Arthropoda: Araneida).- 3.4.2 Mites (Arthropoda: Acarina).- 3.4.3 Hydra (Coelenterata: Hydrozoa).- 3.4.4 Planaria (Platyhelminthes: Turbellaria).- 3.5 Vertebrate Predators.- 3.5.1 Fish (Pisces).- 3.5.2 Amphibians (Amphibia).- 3.5.3 Birds (Aves).- 3.5.4 Mammals (Mammalia).- 3.6 Pathogenic Microorganisms.- 3.6.1 Bacteria (Schizomycetes: Eubacteriales).- 3.6.2 Viruses (Microtatobiotes: Virales).- 3.6.3 Protozoans (Protozoa: Sporozoa and Cnidospora).- 3.6.4 Fungi.- 3.6.5 Rickettsiae (Microtatobiotes: Rickettsiales).- 3.7 Pest Suppression by Harmonious, Coordinated, and Fortuitous Biological Means.- 3.7.1 Harmonious Biological Insect Pest Suppression.- 3.7.2 Coordinated Biological Insect Pest Suppression.- 3.7.3 Fortuitous Biological Insect Pest Suppression.- 4 Manipulation of the Biological Environment for Insect Pest Suppression.- 4.1 Host Resistance to Pest Insects.- 4.1.1 Mechanisms of Resistance.- 4.1.2 Factors Affecting Resistance.- 4.1.3 Principles and Procedures in Utilization of Host Resistance.- 4.1.4 Examples of Host Resistance.- 4.1.5 Value and Limitation of Host Resistance for Insect Pest Suppression.- 4.2 Environmental Manipulations and Cultural Practices.- 4.2.1 Changes in the Environment Adversely Affecting the Pest.- 4.2.2 Changes in the Environment Encouraging Natural Enemies.- 4.3 Autocidal Control and Genetic Manipulation.- 4.3.1 Suppression or Eradication Through Induced Sexual Sterility.- 4.3.2 Genetic Manipulations of Pest Populations.- 4.3.3 Competitive Displacement.- 4.3.4 Genetic Improvement of Beneficial Organisms.- 4.4 Natural Determinants of Growth, Metamorphosis, and Behavior.- 4.4.1 Hormones.- 4.4.2 Pheromones.- 4.4.3 Antifeedants.- 5 A Fusion of Ideas.- 5.1 Integrated Pest Suppression.- 5.1.1 The Concept of Integrated Pest Suppression.- 5.1.2 Agricultural Chemicals and Their Impact on Biological Systems.- 5.1.3 Human Education.- 5.1.4 Current Examples of Integrated Pest Suppression.- 5.2 Retrospect, Introspect, and Prospect.- 5.2.1 Past Successes.- 5.2.2 Current Status.- 5.2.3 Future Directions.- References.