Some Important Insect Predators
The first known use of the tactic of biological insect pest suppression was in China around 300 A.D. wherein ants were used to protect orange groves from developing wormy fruit. The red wood ants are considered important in maintaining forest insect pest population in balanced condition in 12th century. Their food consists of stages of Lepidopterous caterpillar. This is an example to be quoted for efficient facultative predator mired, Cyrtorhinus modulus have been proved as an effective predator the eggs of the sugarcane leaf hopper. Its first release was made in 1923 from Australian stock and late from Fiji and by 1923 the sugarcane hopper was suppressed.
1) Vedalia Beetle, Rodolia Cardinalis Mulsant:
This is probably the most frequent mentioned predator in classical biological control literature. It has been thoroughly received by DeBack (1974). The successful story of the Vedalia beetle against cottony cushion scale, Icerya purchasi in California on citrus has already been outlined C.V. Riley campaign. Like success in California, in has been a repeated 30-50 country around the world where this beetle has been released.
Adults of Vedalia beetle male and have a preoviposition period of 4 weeks in the summer and 1-3 weeks in the winter. The eggs are laid singly or in small cluster.