Taxonomic Information and Biological & Ecological Profile of 20 Biocon

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering taxonomic information, biological cycles, host prey, and ecological profiles of 20 biological control agents.

What is BioCon (biological control) and what are its primary agricultural benefits?

It is a method of controlling agricultural pests using natural enemies such as beneficial insects, fungi, and bacteria. It helps protect crops, reduce the use of chemical pesticides, and maintain environmental balance.

Which biological control agent is pictured here, and what is its scientific name and family?

Seven-spotted lady beetle (or Seven-spotted ladybird), Coccinella septempunctata Linnaeus, belonging to the family Coccinellidae (Order Coleoptera).

What are the key prey items and life cycle characteristics of the seven-spotted lady beetle (Coccinella septempunctata)?

It undergoes complete metamorphosis (egg, larva, pupa, adult). Both larvae and adults are predators feeding primarily on aphids, scale insects, and other small soft-bodied arthropods.

Identify this biological control insect and state its order and family.

Green lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens), belonging to the order Neuroptera and family Chrysopidae.

Which life stage of the green lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea) serves as the principal predatory stage, and how does it feed?

The larval stage is the principal predatory stage; larvae possess prominent sickle-shaped jaws used to pierce prey (such as aphids, thrips, and mites) and consume their body contents.

What predatory bug is pictured here, and what anatomical feature gives it its common name?

Spined soldier bug, Podisus maculiventris (Say), characterized by a prominent spine on each side of the thorax.

What is the taxonomic order of the spined soldier bug (Podisus maculiventris), and what are its primary prey?

It belongs to the order Hemiptera (Family Pentatomidae) and attacks caterpillars, beetle larvae, and other soft-bodied insects.

Identify the predatory biological control agent shown attacking a caterpillar in this image.

Predatory stink bug, Eocanthecona furcellata (Wolff), from the family Pentatomidae (Order Hemiptera).

Where is Eocanthecona furcellata distributed, and what feeding mechanism does it use?

It is found in tropical and subtropical parts of Asia, including the Philippines, and possesses a piercing-sucking beak adapted for attacking caterpillars and other insect larvae.

What biological control beetle is shown in this image, and what pest does it primarily target?

Malaysian ladybird beetle / black ladybird beetle, Chilocorus nigrita (Fabricius), which is especially associated with preying upon scale insects.

What is the scientific name, order, and prey of the scale predator lady beetle?

Scientific name: Chilocorus circumdatus (Gyllenhal); Order: Coleoptera (Family Coccinellidae); its primary prey are scale insects on crops and ornamental plants.

How does the Chilonis egg parasitoid (Trichogramma chilonis) control lepidopteran pests?

Females oviposit inside host eggs (such as moth and butterfly eggs, borers, and fruit pests); the parasitoid develops within the host egg, consumes the embryo, and prevents it from hatching into a damaging larva.

What is the primary target pest and application setting for the Japanese egg parasitoid (Trichogramma japonicum)?

It is used in rice biological-control programs, specifically targeting moth eggs such as rice stem-borer eggs.

What is the scientific name, order, and family of the Evanescens Egg Parasitoid?

Scientific name: Trichogramma evanescens; Order: Hymenoptera; Family: Trichogrammatidae.

Identify this parasitoid wasp and explain how its host is visibly altered after parasitism.

Aphid parasitoid wasp, Aphidius colemani (Viereck); the wasp larva develops inside the aphid host, turning the dead aphid into a swollen, hardened, brownish "mummy" from which the adult wasp emerges.

What is the scientific name and host range of the greenhouse whitefly parasitoid?

Encarsia formosa (Gahan), which belongs to the family Aphelinidae and primarily attacks immature stages of whiteflies.

Identify the predatory arthropod pictured here and name its primary prey.

Predatory mite, Phytoseiulus persimilis (Athias-Henriot), belonging to the family Phytoseiidae; its main prey are spider mites, especially Tetranychus species.

What insect is shown here, and what major crop pest is it particularly useful for controlling?

Minute pirate bug, Orius insidiosus (Fieber), belonging to family Anthocoridae; it is particularly useful for controlling thrips, as well as mites, aphids, and whiteflies.

What organism is shown exiting an insect host cadaver, and how does it kill its host?

Entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema feltiae (Filipjev); infective juveniles enter the host and release symbiotic bacteria that kill the insect, reproducing inside to form new infective juveniles.

Identify the fungal entomopathogen covering this insect cadaver with white growth.

White muscardine fungus, Beauveria bassiana (Bals.-Criv.), of the order Hypocreales and family Cordycipitaceae.

What color spores does Metarhizium anisopliae produce, and what pest is it used against in Philippine crop-protection programs?

It produces green to olive-colored spores (Green muscardine fungus) and is used against agricultural pests including the rice black bug.

What beneficial fungus is shown in this micrograph, and what mechanisms does it use against plant pathogens?

Green mold, Trichoderma harzianum Rifai (Family Hypocreaceae); it targets plant-pathogenic fungi and oomycetes through competition, mycoparasitism, and antibiosis.

How does Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cause mortality in susceptible pest larvae?

Bt is a spore-forming bacterium that produces crystalline proteins (endotoxins) during sporulation; susceptible larvae consume the spores and crystals on treated plant material, leading to fatal toxicity.

What is the scientific name of the whitefly entomopathogenic fungus described in the lecture, and what environmental factor strongly governs its efficacy?

Beauveria bassiana; high relative humidity and appropriate environmental conditions strongly influence cuticle infection and overall performance.

Identify the insect pictured here, along with its scientific name, defining posterior feature, and target pests.

Earwig, Forficula auricularia (with Euborellia annulata noted in tropical/Philippine habitats); identified by pincers at the end of its abdomen; it feeds on corn borer eggs and larvae, aphids, and leafhoppers.