The successful rearing of predators or parasitoids is one of the most important elements in biological control programs. The dried fruit mite, Carpoglyphus lactis (L.), can be used as an alternative prey for the phytoseiid predatory mite, Amblyseius swirs0kii (Athias-Henriot). This study aimed to evaluate the suitability of 3 different diets for C. lactis when rearing A. swirskii: brown sugar, baker’s

Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), is one of the most harmful pests in greenhouses and in open fields. The present study aimed to assess in vitro virulence of 3 entomopathogenic fungal strains (EPFs) of Lecanicillium lecanii 3 (V-3), 4 (V-4), and 5 (V-5) against the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), by spray method. The 3 disparate bioassays were performed

The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is the major insect pest of fruit production worldwide. Chemical control of this pest has induced the selection of resistant medflies populations and negative environmental impact. In addition, the use of pesticides has become an obstacle to the fresh agricultural products exported to many countries that restrict pesticides

Biological alternatives to pesticides in agriculture do not harm non-targets organisms including natural enemies of insect pests. Experiments were conducted at sugarcane fields during 2015 to 2019 to assess large scale biocontrol practices, involving inundative releases of trichogrammatids against lepidopteran borers in comparison to conventional chemical-based farmers’ practice. Eight releases each

Contents of carbohydrates, protein, and lipids in tissues of insect prey constitute the required energy reserve utilized by their predators. Their amounts define the preference of the predator to certain prey on which its biological performance is the optimum. Feeding preferences and longevity of the 3 coccinellid beetles; Coccinella septempunctata L., C. undecimpunctata L., and Scymnus interruptus

Xylanase enzyme plays an important role in nature as being a part of protecting the environment from pollution. It has also various industrial applications. Marine fungal isolate was recovered from red sea water at Sharm El-Sheikh province, Egypt, and tested for xylanase activity, using different agricultural wastes as a substrate. It was found that rice straw was the best substrate for xylanase production

Bean thrips, Megalurothrips distalis (Karny), are a serious insect pest of mung bean grown in summer season as a catch crop in wheat–rice cropping system in North West India. Severe incidence leads to flower shedding and fewer pods leading to loss in grain yield. Field studies were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of horticultural mineral oils, neem-based botanicals, and pongamia soap in the form

The tomato pinworm Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is one of the key pests of tomato worldwide, causing an estimated crop loss of 80 to 100%. This pest has developed resistance to several pesticides due to overuse, resulting in control failures in the field. The use of biological insecticides as Bacillus thuringiensis that expressed insecticidal proteins can be an alternative tool

Diadegma insulare (Cresson) is the most efficient parasitoid of Plutella xylostella (L.) in cruciferous crops. Considering its effectiveness, the present study was performed to investigate the impacts of cauliflower and cabbage cultivars under 3 different temperature regimes on the parasitism efficiency and offspring sex ratio of D. insulare. This study revealed that D. insulare remained active at

Potato represents Egypt’s largest vegetable export crop. Many plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) are globally inflicting damage to potato plants. In Egypt, their economic significance considerably varies according to PPN distribution, population levels, and pathogenicity. This review article highlights the biology, ecology, and economic value of the PPN control viewpoint. The integration of biological

The phylogeny and phylogenetic relationships of Trichoderma species were investigated by many methods including maximum parsimony and distance analysis of DNA sequences from multiple genetic loci. 5.8S rDNA sequence analysis is a powerful tool in evolution studies. The aim of this study was to identify and determine the genetic distance between 36 Trichoderma isolates from Egyptian and Saudi Arabian

Groundnut, Arachis hypogaea L., crop is an important oil seed crop in India and is prone to attack by numerous fungal and viral diseases, among the soil-borne diseases, stem rot caused by Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. is economically important. Incidence (86.6%) of the stem rot disease was recorded in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, India, during the roving survey. For its management, an attempt was made

Verticillium dahliae is one of the most destructive pathogens in many cotton-growing countries around the globe. There is still the lack of high-resistant upland cotton cultivars against this pathogen, and the usage of fungicides is threatening the environment. Biocontrol is an environment-friendly and a green technique in plant protection. In this regard, the present work was aimed to investigate

Fungi are one of the microorganisms that cause most damage to fruits worldwide, affecting their quality and consumption. Chemical controls with pesticides are used to diminish postharvest losses of fruits. However, biological control with microorganisms or natural compounds is an increasing alternative to protect fruits and vegetables. In this study, the antifungal effect of Streptomyces sp. CACIS-1

Modern methods of stored wheat grain protection from insect pests strive towards optimizing the use of different techniques and methods within integrated pest management (IPM) programs. One of the methods of integral grain protection is the application of natural originating insecticides. The potential of the natural origin synthetic insecticide abamectin (a product of soil bacteria, Streptomyces avermitilis

The predatory species, Clitostethus brachylobus Peng, Ren & Pang 1998 (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), native to China, has been reported as a predator of the whitefly species, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.). Present study describes the development and biological characteristics of C. brachylobus. Developmental periods of different immature stages showed significant differences, when fed on different life stages

Ascochyta blight caused by a fungal pathogen, Ascochyta rabiei, is a serious disease of chickpea in most chickpea growing areas of the world. The disease can be controlled by fungicides to reduce the environmental pollution. This study reports the control of Ascochyta blight by using extracts and dry biomass of a weed plant, Withania somnifera (Family Solanaceae). In a laboratory bioassay, a 0.2% concentration

Fusarium wilt biocontrol using endophytic microorganisms may represent a potentially attractive and environmentally safe alternative since endophytes could better limit disease incidence and severity through inhibition of the systemic fungus progress. Twenty-three endophytic bacterial isolates, naturally associated with Solanum sodomaeum and Solanum bonariense, were evaluated for their ability to control

The goal of the present research was to ascertain the potential root endophytic fungi against Dematophora necatrix, Hartig, the causal pathogen of white root rot in apples; however, it has an expanded range of hosts across different fruit trees. Out of 36 endophytic fungi segregated from symptomless roots of apple, wheat, maize, marigold, cherry, and garlic plants, only 9 isolates showed inhibitory

Attempts based on increasing the efficacy of Baculovirus and/or reducing the application concentration of synthetic insecticides through integrated lepidopteran management are appreciated role for conserving the environment. Impact of the multiple nucleopolyhedrosis virus (SpliMNPV) with emamectin benzoate (Em) against the cotton leaf worm, Spodoptera littoralis, was examined to identify the effective

Three parasitoid species viz. Aphelinus asychis Walker (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), Aphidius ervi (Haliday) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and Diaeretiella rapae (McIntosh) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) parasitizing the aphid species Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in mid-hills of north India were studied. At different locations and times of the year, the parasitization by A. asychis, A. ervi

Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is one of the most devastating diseases in tomato cultivation. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Bacillus and Trichoderma isolates to manage the bacterial wilt disease. Field experiments were conducted in a randomized complete block design at Mwea and Kabete sites in Kenya. The treatments included 3 Trichoderma; 2 Bacillus isolates; a mixture

Effects of the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana, Verticillium alfalfae, and Trichoderma viride; secondary metabolites of MS1 (B. bassiana) and MS2 (V. alfalfae); and Dimethoate active substances on the aphid species, Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae), were tested. Fungus isolates were prepared as 107 conidia ml−1 of spore suspensions and applied on the 2nd instar nymphs of A. gossypii

Some laboratory studies revealed that predators can readily attack and consume virus-infected prey with no detrimental effects on their biological parameters. Most tested predacious species did not discriminate between healthy and virus-infected prey. In addition, such predators were found to excrete detectable amounts of polyhedral inclusion bodies for few days that might infect healthy prey. Field

Bacterial wilt of tomato caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is a serious threat to tomato production worldwide. For eco-friendly management of bacterial wilt of tomato, the rhizospheric microorganisms belonging to the genera Bacillus (6 isolates), Brevibacillus (1 isolate), Pseudomonas (3 isolates), and Trichoderma (8 isolates) were studied for their ability to induce innate immunity in tomato, individually

The present investigation was carried out on in vitro mass multiplication, larval feeding capacity, and pollination efficiency of two aphidophagous syrphids viz., Eupeodes frequens (Matsmura) and Episyrphus balteatus (De Geer) (Diptera: Syrphidae) on cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae L.) (Homoptera: Aphididae) on mustard crop under mid hill conditions. The results revealed that the incubation, larval

Poplar anthracnose is one of the most serious diseases caused by the fungal pathogen Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz. & Sacc. Biocontrol is an efficient green way for the disease control, and numerous researches have focused on exploring the potential biocontrol bacteria strains against C. gloeosporioides. In this study, antifungal activities against C. gloeosporioides of 108 rhizosphere

The polyhedral inclusion bodies (PIBs) of Spodoptera littoralis nucleopolyhedrosis virus (SlNPV) were extracted from droppings of both the house sparrow Passer domesticus Raf. and the cattle egret Bubulcus ibis Bon. Due to the wide host range of the SlNPV, the extracted PIBs were bioassayed versus newly hatched larvae (L1) of S. littoralis, S. exigua, Trichoplusia ni, and Autographa circumflexa belonging

Sclerotium rolfsii is a soil-borne plant pathogen that causes root diseases in hundreds of plant species. It also causes collar rot disease in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). The present pot study was carried out to investigate the effect of soil amendment with dry biomass of a weed Chenopodium album L. and two antagonistic fungi, namely Trichoderma harzianum and T. viride, on growth and yield of chickpea

A nuclear polyhedrosis virus (GmMNPV) was isolated from the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) larvae from a dead laboratory colony. A semi-synthetic diet was used for rearing G. mellonella at room conditions of 25–30 °C and 60–70% relative humidity. The polyhedral inclusion bodies (PIBs) of the virus were extracted and bio-assayed versus larvae of L3 of G. mellonella

Ten indigenous entomofungal strains of Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, and M. rileyi were evaluated against 2nd instar larvae of the maize fall armyworm (FAW) Spodptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in a laboratory bioassay. Among the ten strains tested, M. anisopliae ICAR-NBAIR Ma-35 caused 67.8% mortality, followed by B. bassiana ICAR-NBAIR Bb-45 with 64.3%, and ICAR-NBAIR

In Egypt, Rhizoctonia solani is an economically important fungal pathogen on many crops such as common bean causing serious yield losses. Biofumigation with Indian mustard (Brassica juncea), as a potential alternative to the restricted fumigant methyl bromide, is gaining attention in sustainable vegetable production. In this study, laboratory and greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate the

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important grain legume that is attacked by the fungal pathogen, Sclerotium rolfsii, responsible for collar rot disease. In the present study, the pathogen was isolated from diseased chickpea seedlings and identified on molecular basis using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and β-tubulin markers. To control this pathogen, an in vivo study was carried out, using Neem

Root-knot nematode (RKN), Meloidogyne incognita, is one of the most lingering and difficult to manage pest of black pepper in India. The options for controlling RKN are becoming increasingly limited due to the potential risk involved in environmental and health hazards. Biological control using Pasteuria is one of the most effective and efficient ways of nematode management. Pasteuria spp. are obligate

The Varroa mite, Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman (Arachnida: Acari: Varroidae), is a severe external parasitic mite of honeybees that causes great losses of colonies globally. Four concentrations (1, 2%, 5, and 10%) of Jatropha curcas oil were tested for controlling the Varroa mite. Significant effects of reducing percentage of the mite infestation (P = 0.05) after second treatment for sealed

The entomopathogenic fungi (EPF), as a biological control agent, can provide an alternative option for high-risk insecticides. Beauveria bassiana is one of the most potential EPF of pest control all over the world. The EPF isolate Y-F_ITS1 was isolated from Egyptian fauna on Beauveria-specific selective medium (BS medium). Molecular screening of the B. bassiana isolate, using PCR amplification with

The most dominant pest of date stored in Khuzestan Province is Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). In this study, the effects of Bacillus thuringiensis Kurstaki bacteria and Beauveria bassiana pathogenic fungi on the population dynamics of E. kuehniella date stock pest were investigated. To fulfill this, insectariums were kept in vitro at an average temperature of 27 ± 5 °C and a RH

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are being used for the management of insect pests occurring in both agricultural and horticultural crops. But native EPNs are reasonably more efficacious in controlling insect pests than introduced EPNs species because they are adapted to local environmental conditions and insect pests. Therefore, in the present study, a survey was conducted to isolate EPNs at 4 districts

Bioherbicides afford satisfactory approach to overcome weed problem. Selection of new bioherbicides from phytopathogenic microbiota is essential for modern agricultural management, especially mycoherbicides. Thus, in the present investigation, 4 phytopathogenic fungi including Alternaria alternata YMM1, A. tenuissima YMM3, Chaetomium globosum YMM2, and Nigrospora oryzae YMM4 were isolated from infected

The potato tuber moth (PTM), Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller 1873) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a destructive pest of stored potatoes and potato crop. Biopesticides are certain types of pesticides derived from animals, plants, and bacteria. Botanicals are especially efficient in the form of antifeedant, repellent, protectants, and growth-disrupting hormones. They are also sources of secondary metabolites

In this study, potential of the native Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner was investigated against the root knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. Fourteen out of 50 Bt isolates obtained from root zone of vegetable crops of north western zone of Tamil Nadu, India, were found to be encoded with nematicidal cry genes, confirmed by gene-specific

The farmer interest in biological control-based management practices using entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) for the control of many economically important insects has increased. In this process, selection of effective strains of EPF is an important criterion to control the target insect pests in efficient manner. In this context, this research work was formulated to find out environmentally effective strains

The Oriental leaf worm moth, Spodoptera litura (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is among the most voracious insect pests in a variety of economically important crops, particularly cotton. It has developed resistance against conventional chemical insecticides. Therefore, it is vital to evaluate an integrated application of bio- and synthetic pesticide against this pest. Nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV)

This study was designed to find out the optimum cold storage temperature (4, 7, and 10 °C) and storage period (1–16 weeks) of 3 different immature developmental stages (2, 4, 6 days post parasitism) of the egg parasitoid, Trichogrammatoidea bactrae Nagaraja (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) to produce high-quality individuals to be utilized. Also, the effects of cold storage on parasitoids’ fitness

Integrated pest management (IPM) has recognized as a sustainable method for pest prevention, monitoring, and control. The purpose of this review article focused on biological control potential and challenges in Afghanistan. Biological control is beginning to increase in Afghanistan, in large part due to the establishment of graduate studies in entomology in 2008. Afghan farmers have restricted knowledge

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is an important fiber crop cultivated in > 50 countries of the world. The cotton leaf roller Syllepte derogata (Fabricius, 1775) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is considered as an invasive and widespread species in many geographic regions of the world and pose significant damages to cotton crop. This study reported the first record of S. derogata and its biological characteristics

The aphids, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and Aphis gossypii (Glover) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and the whiteflies, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) and Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) are the most damaging pests of greenhouse crops, which cause vector-borne viral diseases and its damage includes chlorosis, necrosis, and fruit abortion. This review article addresses the protected cultivation

Wheat stem rust causes by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici is a serious threat to wheat production all over the world. This study evaluated the efficacy of Bacillus subtilis, B. polymyxa and B. megaterium, Eugenol and leaf extract of Artemisia cina against the disease, and the involved mechanisms in disease resistance. B. subtilis and Eugenol treatments inhibited spore germination and increased incubation

Jute hairy caterpillar, Spilosoma (=Spilarctia) obliqua (Walker) (Arctiidae: Lepidoptera), is an irregular and polyphagous insect pest that occurs all over India. A severe natural viral epizootic was observed in the field population of S. obliqua in jute. The virus was characterized as Spilosoma obliqua nucleopolyhedrovirus (SpobNPV NBAIR1) based on morphological, biological, and molecular characterization

The tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Gelechiidae: Lepidoptera), is an introduced serious pest of tomato in India. Management of this insect pest mainly relies on insecticides because of its high infestation levels on all plant parts and life stages of tomato crop. This laboratory study investigated the efficacy of Cry1Ac protein of Bacillus thuringiensis against T. absoluta. The LC50 and LC95

A study of interactions among natural enemies is important to develop a better biological control program. Among these interactions, one that is crucial is the consumption of parasitized prey by a predator. Feeding on aphid mummies could affect the predator as well as the parasitoid species. In this study, the effect of parasitized prey on prey consumption, survival, growth, and development of 4th

The study aimed to determine the effect of two aphid species; Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach) and Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on life table and demographic parameters of Hippodamia convergens Gu`erin-M´eneville (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). The developmental period of all life stages of H. convergens was shorter when fed on L. erysimi. Net reproductive rate (Ro) was higher (159.85 offspring/individual)

The effectiveness of Trichoderma atroviride, T. asperellum, T. harzianum, against targeted tea disease causing pathogen, Fusarium solani (dieback), Beauveria bassiana against tea mosquito (Helopeltis theivora), and Metarhizium anisopliae against the red spider mite, Oligonychus coffeae Nietner, and the live wood eating termite (Microcerotermes beesoni Snyder), respectively were evaluated under laboratory

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are among the frequently used and commercialized bio-pesticides. However, they are restricted in their infectivity, persistence, storage, and cost of production. One of the methods used to improve this is a continuous search for new isolates with significant behavioral and physiological characteristics. A novel EPN isolate, Heterorhabditis zealandica strain ETL, isolated

The tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a destructive pest affecting the tomato crop causing a loss of 60–100% of the tomato crop production. In the present study, the lethal and sub-lethal effects of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), spinosad, and emamectin benzoate as bio-insecticides comparing with 2 synthetic insecticides: chlorpyrifos and indoxacarb against T.

Two different Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) nucleopolyhedrovirus (SpliNPV) isolates were obtained from natural infected S. littoralis larvae in Egypt. The phylogenetic analysis of the partial nucleotide sequence of the polyhedrin gene (polh) showed that both isolates, Spli-6 and Spli-7, were closed and had a common ancestor with S. littoralis NPV isolate 1263 polyhedrin gene

Pest infestations in net-houses are not sometimes different from that under open-field conditions, necessitating usage of pesticides. To examine the hypothesis that bioagents may have more potential under restricted plant growing conditions, the predatory potential of green lace wing, Chrysoperla zastrowi sillemi Esben-Peterson (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) was evaluated against the sucking pests of tomato

The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the EPNs against the larvae of Egyptian cotton leaf worm Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) and the black cutworm Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in vitro before in vivo study. The susceptibility of both larval species to the entomopathogenic nematode species, Steinernema monticolum and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, was evaluated under

Predatory nematodes are important as they fed upon several prey nematode species. The diplogasterid predators are characterized by distinguished alterations in feeding apparatus. The diplogasterid predator, Fictor composticola, feeds on different categories of nematodes like microbivorous, mycophagous, and plant-parasitic nematodes. This study was undertaken under in-vitro conditions, in 1% water-agar

Intercropping in cotton is of great significance, which helps to reduce the population of insect pests by attracting natural enemies to the field and helping to get stabilized yield and high profit advantage. The study was conducted with 4 intercrops, viz., sesame, Sesamum indicum L.; pigeonpea, Cajanus cajan L.; pearl millet, Pennisetum glaucum L.; and sorghum, Sorghum bicolor L. in an experimental