This book outlines basic and applied activities in Iranian biological control. The
first section includes milestone events of entomology, pest control and biological
control. Other parts of the book categorized into four parts. The part I deal with key
insect predators including ladybird beetles (Chap. 1), mites (Chaps. 2 and 3) and
lacewings (Chap. 4). The part II includes Chap. 5 Trichogrammatidae, Chap. 6
Chalcidoidea and Ichneumonoidea, Chap. 7 Platygasteroidea and Chap. 8
Aphidiidae. The following five chapters are allocated to insect pathogens as part
III, including entomopathogenic bacteria (Chap. 9), entomopathogenic fungi
(Chap. 10), entomopathogenic and insect parasitic nematodes (Chap. 11) and other
groups of insect pathogens including viruses, microsporidians and protistans as well
as endosymbiont bacterium from Wolbachia and other genera (Chap. 12). Part IV
includes other approaches and analyses of current states of biocontrol in Iran. This
part contains Chap. 13 which reviewed the major biopesticides. Chapter 14 focuses
on biological control practices in greenhouses, and Chap. 15 includes biological
control of medically important arthropods. The concluding chapter (Chap. 16)
reviews the current opportunities, challenges and analyses the development of
biocontrol in Iran.
The book is the result of 26 Iranian scientists and researchers’ contribution from
various Universities and institutes along with Petr Starý, with the world authority on
the aphid parasitoid, and a great favor on collaborations with researcher including
Iranian entomologists. Most authors are prestigious experts in their field of study and
a number of early carrier young researchers have involved in contribution the
chapters. This new generation promised bright future for expanding the use of
biocontrol as ecofriendly tactic for pest management and in large scale, crop
production and protection the environment of the Iran as well world. Both editors
spent much of their time for preparing, communicating and editing these chapters.
Thus, special thanks dedicated to our families who provided the best situation for
work on the book.
Both of us teach insect biocontrol course from more than a decade, so we
benefited from the discussions with the students in the classes. The first editor thanks
from Shokoofeh Kamali for her assist during four years of book production, gathering information, and image processing and also from Reyhaneh Darsouei for her
help about text format, cross check and reference style. We also would like to
appreciate from Alireza Saboori and Arman Avand – Faghih for provide some
images and information and Randy Gaugler for some suggestions. We appreciate
from Mariska van der Stigchel for her long time patience and other staff member of
book section, Springer Nature. We honoring the memory of pioneers of biocontrol in
Iran, including Aziz Kharrazi- Pakdel, the emeritus professor of entomology, who
was our supervisor and teacher of biocontrol and insect pathology courses in
University of Tehran some years ago.
viii
Preface
first section includes milestone events of entomology, pest control and biological
control. Other parts of the book categorized into four parts. The part I deal with key
insect predators including ladybird beetles (Chap. 1), mites (Chaps. 2 and 3) and
lacewings (Chap. 4). The part II includes Chap. 5 Trichogrammatidae, Chap. 6
Chalcidoidea and Ichneumonoidea, Chap. 7 Platygasteroidea and Chap. 8
Aphidiidae. The following five chapters are allocated to insect pathogens as part
III, including entomopathogenic bacteria (Chap. 9), entomopathogenic fungi
(Chap. 10), entomopathogenic and insect parasitic nematodes (Chap. 11) and other
groups of insect pathogens including viruses, microsporidians and protistans as well
as endosymbiont bacterium from Wolbachia and other genera (Chap. 12). Part IV
includes other approaches and analyses of current states of biocontrol in Iran. This
part contains Chap. 13 which reviewed the major biopesticides. Chapter 14 focuses
on biological control practices in greenhouses, and Chap. 15 includes biological
control of medically important arthropods. The concluding chapter (Chap. 16)
reviews the current opportunities, challenges and analyses the development of
biocontrol in Iran.
The book is the result of 26 Iranian scientists and researchers’ contribution from
various Universities and institutes along with Petr Starý, with the world authority on
the aphid parasitoid, and a great favor on collaborations with researcher including
Iranian entomologists. Most authors are prestigious experts in their field of study and
a number of early carrier young researchers have involved in contribution the
chapters. This new generation promised bright future for expanding the use of
biocontrol as ecofriendly tactic for pest management and in large scale, crop
production and protection the environment of the Iran as well world. Both editors
spent much of their time for preparing, communicating and editing these chapters.
Thus, special thanks dedicated to our families who provided the best situation for
work on the book.
Both of us teach insect biocontrol course from more than a decade, so we
benefited from the discussions with the students in the classes. The first editor thanks
from Shokoofeh Kamali for her assist during four years of book production, gathering information, and image processing and also from Reyhaneh Darsouei for her
help about text format, cross check and reference style. We also would like to
appreciate from Alireza Saboori and Arman Avand – Faghih for provide some
images and information and Randy Gaugler for some suggestions. We appreciate
from Mariska van der Stigchel for her long time patience and other staff member of
book section, Springer Nature. We honoring the memory of pioneers of biocontrol in
Iran, including Aziz Kharrazi- Pakdel, the emeritus professor of entomology, who
was our supervisor and teacher of biocontrol and insect pathology courses in
University of Tehran some years ago.
viii
Preface