Biological control with insects
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Insects is one of the most diverse groups among the inhabitants of Earth. Almost 75% of all animal species on the planet are insects, the vast majority being very small, as they only reach a few millimeters and tend to go unnoticed.
Usually, when we think of insects, the annoyance that they cause us, the pickets of which we are victims, the poison they inject us, the diseases they transmit to us, the damage they cause to wood, to crops, come to mind. ornamental, agricultural and forestry or stored food. However, all this negativity is overshadowed by the great benefits and services they offer us.
Few people know that we obtain honey, pollen, silk, wax, oils, dyes and dyes, medicines, animal feed, and even humans in various cultures around the world. Insect pollination services are valued in hundreds of millions of dollars annually, in fact, there is growing concern about the alarming reduction of pollinating insect populations of crops such as bees.
The participation of insects in the decomposition of animal and vegetable organic matter is enormous and enables the recycling of nutrients, their incorporation into the soil and their availability for plants. Insects are widely used in genetic studies, many of the insect species are parasitoids or predators of other insects, acting as natural enemies and biological controllers of species considered harmful.
In addition, insects are used in forensic investigation to determine the time of death of a corpse, in conservation as biological indicators of the health of forests and ecosystems and of water quality. The production of insects in captivity has become an important economic activity, either for animal feed, including humans, to pollinate crops or control pests and for educational, recreational and tourist exhibitions.
The study of insects is fundamental to minimize their negative effects and to enhance and take advantage of their benefits in a way that promotes a healthy environment and a harmonious relationship between humanity and the world that surrounds us and that provides support and sustenance. That is why I want to highlight some species that are used for biological control. There is a great variety, here I will only talk about some insects and some families of them.
Ladybugs, vaquitas
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The ladybugs or vaquitas have like natural enemies to the aphids, the white fly, scales, cochineals and mites. Many of them are voracious predators that in the absence of prey can depredate eggs and larvae of the same species, this makes it difficult to breed in biological control programs. This type of insect measures about 0.9-11 mm in length. It has an oval body, with striking colors, with a very convex back and a flat belly. Head partially or totally hidden, has short to very short claviform antennae.
Ants
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Ants perform ecological functions in ecosystems such as predators, herbivores, scavengers, seed dispersers and mutualists; They also contribute to the recycling of nutrients and are part of the food chain. Atta and Acromyrmex leaf cutters are especially important in agriculture because they can defoliate whole crops, especially in citrus, grass, fruit, sugar cane and others. Fire ants, genus Solenopsis, also worry about their aggressiveness, with a painful picket and capacity as invaders, and because they feed on young plants and seed. All the species of ants are social. Each colony of ants have a specific smell, many enemies use this smell to enter the nests. The type of food varies in each species; scavengers of dead insects, voracious predators, seed collectors, treat aphids, others feed on the fungi they grow, and many take advantage of the extrafloral nectaries of the plants. Its size is 0.5-30 mm. Usually, dark colors. The males are different from the queens, smaller, brittle and with the smaller head.
Other species that serve for biological control are:
The Passalidae Family
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This family is very important, since they are in the compost thus helping the process of degradation of matter. Both in their stage of larvae and adults are excellent decomposers of organic matter. They have a size that goes from medium to large, about 18-80 mm long. They stand out for their elongated and usually flattened body; of bright black color. Its head is narrower than the thorax, usually with a small central horn, exposed jaws directed towards the front.
The Ichneumonidae Family
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This family is very important in biological control programs of lepidoptera pests, mainly the subfamilies Campopleginae and Cremastinae. Some species such as Campoletis grioti, Eiphosoma vitticolle and Diapetimorpha introita are lethal to control the cutworm Spodoptera frugiperda, Pristomerus spinator, as well as to control the potato borer Phthorimaea operculella and Diadromus collaris, as well as to control Plutella xylostella. The vast majority are insect parasitoids with complete metamorphosis and spiders, these are less frequent. They generally parasitize larvae and pupae of insects. Adults feed on sugary plant substances and sweet homopteran excretions. They usually measure about 2-61 mm. Of thin bodies; many have contrasting colors, for example black with orange or a single color that varies from black to yellow.
