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How do ladybugs and parasitoid wasps help control crop pests?

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A row of cattle with brown and black coats eat feed from a long trough in a South African feedlot, separated by wooden fencing. — Feed Feedlot cattle eating grain in an intensive animal farm in South Africa.

Ladybugs and parasitoid wasps serve as essential biological control agents in agriculture by regulating populations of harmful crop pests.12

Ladybugs

Ladybugs (family Coccinellidae) are primarily carnivorous predators that consume significant numbers of pests, such as aphids, scale insects, and mites. Both the larvae and adults are voracious feeders; for instance, a single larva of the convergent ladybug can consume hundreds of aphids during its development, while an adult female may devour thousands over her lifetime. Because of their effectiveness, they are often collected and released by farmers to protect crops like citrus orchards.34

Parasitoid Wasps

Parasitoid wasps, such as those in the family Ichneumonidae, control pests by laying their eggs in or on the bodies of host insects, including caterpillars, beetles, and other pests. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the host's internal tissues, eventually killing it. These wasps are highly valued for their ability to keep pest populations in check, and specific species have been introduced globally to manage invasive threats, such as wood wasps and stem-boring caterpillars that damage cereal crops.1