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Natural Enemies Handbook:
The Illustrated Guide to Biological Pest Control

Published 1998 · Publication 3386 · 154 pages · eBook

How to order
List of contents
Photo of the book, Natural Enemies Handbook.

This how-to book helps you to:

  • combine cultural, physical, and chemical methods with biological control
  • minimize pesticide impacts on natural enemies
  • release natural enemies and enhance their activity
  • identify, and use natural enemies to control pests in almost any agricultural crop, garden, and landscape

Spectacular Graphics

Virtually every insect, mite, and spider family important in biological control is illustrated with a taxonomically correct line drawing and color photos. View 180 high-quality color photographs and 140 line drawings that feature hundreds of predators, parasites, and pathogens that attack pests.

Comprehensive and Authoritative

This practical guide draws on the experience and knowledge of more than 60 experts from the University of California and beyond.

International Award

Natural Enemies Handbook received a silver award for "outstanding four-color popular publication" from the Agricultural Communicators in Education (ACE), an international association of professional agricultural communicators headquartered at the University of Florida. ACE judges praised the publication for its well-balanced and factual information, clear and concise writing style, and for its well-organized and presented material.

Nice Balance

"A nice balance between technical content, comprehensiveness, and readability..."
—Richard D. Goeden, Professor of Biological Control and Entomology, University of California

How to order

This publication is available from the UC ANR Communication Services catalog. It is also available by mail, by telephone, or through the ANR sales offices and many UC County Cooperative Extension offices. For locations and more information, see "How to Order Publications."

List of Contents

Natural Enemies Are Your Allies
  • What Are Natural Enemies? (Predation · Parasitism · Herbivory · Competition · Antibiosis) · What Is Biological Control? · Using Biological Control (Conservation and Enhancement · Augmentation · Importation or Classical Biological Control) · Is Biological Control "Safe"? · Using Natural Enemies Within an Integrated Pest Management Program · Management Program (Prevention · Identifying Pests and Ecological Factors · Monitoring · Control Action Thresholds and Guidelines · Integrating Compatible Management Tools · Chemical and Biological Control Integration · Cultural and Biological Control Integration · Mechanical and Biological Control Integration · Physical and Biological Control Integration)
Biological Pest Control Quick Guide
Natural Enemies of Plant Pathogens
  • Mechanisms of Plant Pathogen Biological Control (Competition · Antibiosis · Parasitism and Predation) · Mycopesticides · Disease-Suppressive Compost and Soil Amendments · Suppressive Soils · Mycorrhizae
Natural Enemies of Nematodes
  • Suppressive Crops and Plant By-Products · Parasites and Predators
Natural Enemies of Weeds
  • Mechanisms of Weed Biological Control (Competition and Allelopathy · Pathogens · Seed Bank Degradation · Vertebrates · Invertebrates) · Commercially Available Weed Biocontrol Agents · Integrating Weed Biological Control Agents
Natural Enemies of Arthropods
  • Classical Biological Control of Arthropods · Conservation and Enhancement of Arthropods (Pesticide Management · Ant Control · Habitat Manipulation) · Augmentation of Arthropods (Releasing Natural Enemies Effectively · Nurse Plants) · Monitoring and Collecting Natural Enemies
Parasites of Arthropods
  • Recognizing Parasitism · Parasitic Wasps (Egg Parasites · Caterpillar Parasites · Beetle Parasites · Scale Parasites · Aphid Parasites · Whitefly Parasites · Mealybug Parasites · Psyllid Parasites · Thrips Parasites · Leafminer Parasites) · Parasitic Flies (Caterpillar Parasites · Beetle Parasites · Cottony Cushion Scale Parasites)
Predators of Arthropods
  • Recognizing Predation · Beetles (Lady Beetles or Ladybugs: Aphid-Feeding Lady Beetles, Scale-Feeding Lady Beetles, Mealybug-Feeding Lady Beetles, Whitefly-Feeding Lady Beetles, Mite-Feeding Lady Beetles · Predaceous Ground Beetles ·  Other Predatory Beetles) · True Bugs (Minute Pirate Bugs · Look Alike Bugs · Bigeyed Bugs · Assassin Bugs · Other Predatory Bugs) · Predatory Flies (Syrphid Flies · Predaceous Midges and Aphid Flies) · Predatory Wasps and Ants (Ants) · Lacewings, Dustywings, and Snakeflies (Green Lacewings · Brown Lacewings · Other Neuroptera) · Mantids · Earwigs · Thrips · Mites (Enhancing Biological Control When Using Mites) · Spiders (Black Widow) · Snails and Slugs (Decollate Snail) · Birds and Other Vertebrates
Pathogens of Arthropods
  • Bacteria · Nematodes · Fungi · Viruses
Resources
  • Suppliers · Suggested Reading
Literature Cited
Names of Pests and Plants
Index

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