Table 4.1
Commercially available natural enemies mainly released in protected Spanish crops and their classification according to their type of use in
biological control programs
Type
Natural enemy
Feeding strategy
Main pests
controlled
Biological control method
Notes
Preventive Curative
Inoculative Inundative
Predatory
mites
Amblyseius
swirskii
True omnivorous (also feeding
on pollen)
Whiteflies,
thrips
4
(1) 4
4
(1) Releases with factitious
prey and pollen
Neoseiulus
cucumeris
True omnivorous (also feeding
on pollen)
Thrips
4
(1) 4
4
N. californicus
Zoophagous-oliphagous
Spider mites
4
(1) 4
4
Phytoseius
persimilis
Zoophagous-oliphagous
Spider mites
–
4
4
–
Predatory
insects
Aphidoletes
aphidimiza
Zoophagous-oliphagous
Aphids
–
4
4
–
Adalia
bipunctata
Zoophagous-oliphagous
Aphids
–
–
4
–
Chrysoperla
carnea
Zoophagous-oliphagous
Aphids
–
4
4
–
Orius laevigatus
True omnivorous (also feeding
on pollen)
Thrips
4
(1) (2) 4
4
(2) Intragremial predation on
A. swirskii
Nesidicocoris
tenuis
True omnivorous (also feeding
plant tissue)
Whiteflies,
thrips
4
(3) 4
–
(3) Releases on seedlings with
factitious preys
Macrolophus
pygmaeus
True omnivorous (also feeding
plant tissue)
Whiteflies,
thrips
4
(3) 4
–
Nabis
pseudoferus
Zoophagous-polyphagous
Aphids,
lepidoptera
–
–
4
(4)
(4) Releases in hot-spots
Feltiella
acarisuga
Zoophagous-oliphagous
Spider mites
–
4
4
–
(continued)
104
E. Vila and T. Cabello