Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.1
2.7
Journals
Insects
Special Issues
Advances in Research on Parasitoids for Biological Control of Agricultural...
share announcement

Advances in Research on Parasitoids for Biological Control of Agricultural Pests

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Pest and Vector Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 May 2025 | Viewed by 2248

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Adeney De Freitas Bueno

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Embrapa Soybean, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), Londrina, PR 86001-970, Brazil
Interests: augmentative biological control; egg parasitoids; stink bugs; soybeans; Telenomus; Trichogramma; IPM
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Fernanda Cingolani

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CONICET-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
Interests: pest management; biological control; stink bugs; Pentatomidae; parasitoids; Scelionidae; Tachinidae; Encyrtidae; natural enemy; biological interaction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The use of biological control tools against insect pests has significantly increased in agriculture globally in recent years. This is especially due to an increasing demand from society for a reduction in chemical pesticides used in food production. Biological control has a crucial role in this regard, both Conservation, Augmentative and Classical Biological Control. Among the biocontrol agents of importance, especially used in Augmentative Biological Control programs, egg parasitoids should be highlighted, not only due to their efficacy and safety but also due to the fact of controlling pests in an early stage of development (egg) before any harm can be caused to the plants. This Special Issue aims to bring the most innovative research in parasitoid use and conservation in agriculture. Strategies of IPM to preserve and increase, as well as opportunities to introduce new parasitoids into the different agroecosystems are welcome.

Dr. Adeney De Freitas Bueno
Dr. Fernanda Cingolani
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • augmentative biological control
  • conservation biological control
  • classical biological control
  • parasitoids
  • Diptera
  • Hymenoptera
  • agriculture
  • sustainability
  • bioinputs

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

15 pages, 1960 KiB  
Article
Exploiting Plant–Natural Enemy Interactions: Selection and Evaluation of Plants for the Improvement of Biological Control
by Hipolito Cortez-Madrigal
Insects 2025, 16(2), 138; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16020138 - 31 Jan 2025
Viewed by 337
Abstract
To identify and select wild plant species as a source of nectar and pollen for the conservation of natural enemies (NEs), with an emphasis on parasitic Hymenoptera, entomological samplings were carried out on the inflorescences of plants in the northwest of Michoacán, Mexico, [...] Read more.
To identify and select wild plant species as a source of nectar and pollen for the conservation of natural enemies (NEs), with an emphasis on parasitic Hymenoptera, entomological samplings were carried out on the inflorescences of plants in the northwest of Michoacán, Mexico, in 2020. The species were selected based on the number and diversity of NEs, flowering period, phytosanitary risks (pests), and ease of multiplication. Of more than 27 plant species, NEs were recorded in 24. The Eulophid family represented 74.14% of 23 families of parasitoids recorded, and in 19 of the 23 plant species with parasitoids, the eulophid family was the most prevalent. Thirteen plant species were selected; annual species such as Tithonia tubaeformis and Stevia serrata stand out. Among the shrubs, Senecio salignus and Baccharis salicifolia stand out, as do trees such as Viguiera quinqueradiata, Thouinia villosa and Buddleja parviflora. Serjania racemosa and Phytolacca icosandra stand out for their long flowering period (>5 months) and the wide diversity of beneficial entomofauna. They are plants that reproduce easily and have a low phytosanitary risk to crops. The presence of flowering plants in agroecosystems could attract and maintain NE populations, even before pests arrive, with predictable benefits for integrated pest management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Research on Parasitoids for Biological Control of Agricultural Pests)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 1463 KiB  
Review
Using Egg Parasitoids to Manage Caterpillars in Soybean and Maize: Benefits, Challenges, and Major Recommendations
by Adeney de F. Bueno, Weidson P. Sutil, M. Fernanda Cingolani and Yelitza C. Colmenarez
Insects 2024, 15(11), 869; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15110869 - 5 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1140
Abstract
The use of egg parasitoids in Augmentative Biological Control (ABC) is a highly effective strategy within the integrated pest management (IPM) of lepidopteran defoliators. Safer than chemical insecticides, these natural antagonists have demonstrated significant efficacy. Trichogramma pretiosum and Telenomus remus, known for their [...] Read more.
The use of egg parasitoids in Augmentative Biological Control (ABC) is a highly effective strategy within the integrated pest management (IPM) of lepidopteran defoliators. Safer than chemical insecticides, these natural antagonists have demonstrated significant efficacy. Trichogramma pretiosum and Telenomus remus, known for their high parasitism rates, are the most extensively used and studied parasitoids for controlling economically important lepidopterous in crops such as soybean and maize. Brazil, a leading adopter of crops expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins, faces growing field-evolved resistance to Cry proteins in soybean and maize. This resistance, particularly of Rachiplusia nu in soybean and Spodoptera frugiperda in maize, has become more prominent in recent years, increasing insecticide use. Therefore, this article reviews the current status of egg parasitoids adoption in ABC against lepidopteran pests, emphasizing the role of Tr. pretiosum and the potential of Te. remus as sustainable alternatives to chemical insecticides to manage pests in both non-Bt and Bt crops. Additionally, we provide recommendations for using these parasitoids in ABC programs and discuss the challenges that must be addressed to optimize the adoption of biocontrol agents in ABC programs for maximum benefit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Research on Parasitoids for Biological Control of Agricultural Pests)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop