This book presents the pest management by using predatory insects. It elucidates the characteristics features of predatory insects and their utility value in the field of Biological control and integrates them in Integrated Pest Management (IPM). During the last five to six decades voluminous scientific work on various aspects of predatory insects has been done at different Research Institutions and Universities in India. Since the scientific literature lies scattered in various journals, and not yet has been published in book form, it is considered desirable and essential to provide a concise account in a book form. The book entitled Indian Insect Predators in Biological Control is the first of its kind in our country. It has the following distinguished features: (1) Enlighted the distribution and diversity of insect predators in various agroecosystem. (2) Provide updated coverage of ethology, biology and life table parameters of predators. (3) Di and tri tropic interaction of crop-pest-predators. (4) Biological control potential of predators in laboratory, pots, controlled field cage and natural field conditions are elaborated. (5) Biosefty of synthetic and biopesticides are discussed. (6) Mass production with natural, faciated and oligidic diets are explained. (7) Text is illustrated with photographs, line drawings, tables and graphs to make the material more interesting to the students. (8) This book is intended as a text for use in teaching the concept of biological control to undergraduate and post graduate students of biology and agriculture. (9) This also immensely helps the researchers who are engaged in pest management, crop production and protection by using various natural predators. Contents Chapter 1: Insect Predators and Pest Control by K Sahayaraj; Chapter 2: Behavioral and Ecological Features of Mantids that Confer as Prospective Biocontrol Agents by M C Muralirangan, K P Sanjayan & N Senthikumar; Chapter 3: Dragonflies and Damselflies in Biological Control by F K Kakkassery; Chapter 4: Feeding Adaptations and Semiochemical Perception in Predatory Heteroptera by Pathipati Usha Rani; Chapter 5: Anthocorid Predators and their Biocontrol Potential by M Nasser & U C Abdurahiman; Chapter 6: How Efficient are Geocorid Bugs (Heteroptera: Insecta) as Crop Pest Managers? by Ananda Mukhopadhyay & Soma Das; Chapter 7: Reduviids in Biological Control by K Sahayaraj; Chapter 8: Biology and Behaviours of Coccinellid Beetles by T V Sathe; Chapter 9: Mass Production and Biological Control Potential of Coccinellids in India by Jagmohan Singh & K S Brar; Chapter 10: Syrphids: As an Important Predators of Aphids in India by T V Sathe & Sangit Visherad; Chapter 11: Indian Insect Predators on Insect Pests of Rice by K S Behera & A Prakash; Chapter 12: Role of Predators in the Control of Horticultural Crop Pests of India by M Mani & A Krishnamoorthy.

Ecofriendly Pest Management for Food Security explores the broad range of opportunity and challenges afforded by Integrated Pest Management systems. The book focuses on the insect resistance that has developed as a result of pest control chemicals, and how new methods of environmentally complementary pest control can be used to suppress harmful organisms while protecting the soil, plants, and air around them. As the world's population continues its rapid increase, this book addresses the production of cereals, vegetables, fruits, and other foods and their subsequent demand increase. Traditional means of food crop production face proven limitations and increasing research is turning to alternative means of crop growth and protection. - Addresses environmentally focused pest control with specific attention to its role in food security and sustainability. - Includes a range of pest management methods, from natural enemies to biomolecules. - Written by experts with extensive real-world experience.

Publisher Description

Plant based biotechnology has come to represent a means of mitigating the problems of global food security in the twenty-first century. Products and processes in agriculture are increasingly becoming linked to science and cutting edge technology, to enable the engineering of what are in effect, designer plants. One of the most successful , non-chemical approaches to pest management and disease control is biological control, which seeks a solution in terms of using living organisms to regulate the incidence of pests and pathogens, providing a natural control' while still maintaining the biological balance with the ecosystem. This volume, (the first of two), addresses the different types of biocontrol for different pests, namely, crop diseases, weeds and nematodes, and details the biology of both the pest and its enemies, which is vital for efficient use of biological control. The book has numerous contributors who are authorities in their fields, and would be an asset to those who have interest in sustainable agriculture and crop productivity.

Most basic information on plant-mealybug interactions during the last decade has come from research on the cassava Manihot esculenta Crantz (Euphorbiaceae) system with two mealybug species, namely Phenacoccus manihoti Matile-Ferrero and Phenacoccus herreni Cox and Williams (Sternorrhyncha: Pseudococcidae). Both these insects cause severe damage to cassava in Africa and South America, respectively. This book reviews these interactions (plant selection by the insects, nutritional requirements

Their natural enemies largely determine the population size and dynamic behavior of many plant-eating insects. Any reduction in enemy number can result in an insect outbreak. Applied biological control is thus one strategy for restoring functional biodiversity in many agroecosystems. Predators and Parasitoids addresses the role of natural enemies i

Pest predators are gaining more importance in pest management programme since pesticides lead to many serious problems like air and water pollution, health hazards, killing of beneficial organisms pest resistance, pest resurgence, secondary pest out break, interruption in ecocycles etc. The book includes taxonomical details of insect pest predaceous lady bird beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinelidae) and collection, preservation, rearing and biology. It also contain predatory pray relationships, predator pest index and biocontrol programmes designed with predator in India and abroad. The book will be useful guide to students, farmers, teacher and researchers in the pest management. Contents: Chapter 1: Introduction, Chapter 2: Collection, Preservation and Rearing, Chapter 3: Taxonomy Family - Cocinelidae, Sub family - Chilocorinae Genus - Brumoides Chapin, Brumoides kolhapurensis, Genus - Chilocorus Leach, Chilocorus suryaphuli, Sub family - Cocinellinae, Tribe - Coccinellini, Genus - Coccinella Linneaus, Coccinellini transversalis (Fab.), Coccinella madhuri, Coccinella bhuimungi, Coccinella yaminii, Cocinella yoginii, Genus - Coelophora Mulsant, Coelophora orientalis, Genus - Harmonia Mulsant, Harmonia soyabinii, Genus - Menochilus Timberlake, Menochilus sexmaculatus (Fab.), Menochilus tuljapurensis, Menochilus shivajiensis, Menochilus kharipi, Genus - Vernia Mulsant, Vernia polyphagi, Tribe - Psylloborini, Genus - Illeis Mulsant, Illeis satheri, Illeis darbari, Sub family - Scymniae, Genus - Horniolus Weise, Horniolus mirajensis, Genus - Scymnus Kugelann, Sub genus - Scymnus Kugelann, Scymnus (Scymnus) indica, Sub genus - Pullus Mulsant, Scymnus (Pullus) marathi, Chapter 4: Biology, Chapter 4 : Predator Pray Relationships, Chapter 5: Predator Pray Index and Biocontrol Programmes, Chapter 7: Summary.