The document summarizes an ACORN workshop on biological control. The workshop covered: - An introduction to biological control and natural enemies like predators, parasites and pathogens - Why planting flowers can help attract natural enemies - Tips on purchasing and using natural enemies for biological control - Alternatives to pesticides that are safer for natural enemies - How to use the ACORN Alternative Control Guide to identify pests/natural enemies and find biological control solutions for home gardens.

1. ACORN
WORKSHOP
Cliff Sadof, Bob O’Neil
and
Farah Heraux
Purdue University
Department of Entomology
Rob Wiedenmann
Illinois Natural History Survey
Spring 2003
A
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2. Schedule
0:00 Introduction to Workshop/ Biological
Control
0:15 Know the Natural Enemies
1:30 Break/Demonstrations
2:00 Why Plant Flowers?
2:15 Alternative Pesticides
2:30 Using ACORN to Implement Biological
Control in Your Landscape
2:45 Discover Biological Control at Home
3:00 Workshop Ends
Schedule

3. ACORN objectives
 Reduce pesticide usage.
 Design gardens to minimize pest problems.
 Use tactics that enhance and don’t disrupt
pest control.
 Learn by doing.
AC
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obje
ctiv
es

4. ACORN is a growing network
of
Master Gardeners,
Extension Educators and
University Researchers
interested in reducing pesticide
use in
home gardens.
What is ACORN?
www.entm.purdue.edu/acorn
W
h
a
t
i
s
A
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?

5. Why should we look at
alternatives to pesticides?
 Per acre pesticide use in home gardens
exceeds that of many major agricultural
commodities.
 Application, storage and disposal issues
challenge many home gardeners.
Why should we look at
alternatives to pesticides?

6. Section 1 Outline
What Is Biological Control?
 Know the Natural Enemies
 Predators
 Parasites
 Pathogens
Section 1 outline

7. What is biological
control?
The use of living organisms to control pest
insects, weeds or diseases.
Typically involves some human activity.
What is biological control?

8. What Are Natural
Enemies?
Natural enemies are living organisms that:
 Kill pests
 Decrease pest reproductive potential
 Compete with pest organisms for use of
your plants.
What are natural enemies?

9. Biological control
How Is It Implemented?
 Use what you have (Conservation).
 Add what you need (Augmentation).
Who kills Pests?
 Predators
 Parasites
 Pathogens
Biological control

10. Predators
 Adults and immature stages kill and
consume many prey.
 Generally larger and faster than prey.
 200,000 species!
 Males, females, immatures and adults may
be predatory.
 Remove the evidence.
Predators

11. Prayingmantis

12. Soldier beetle
R. Wiedenman

13. Minute pirate bug
J.R. Ruberson

14. Lacewing
B. Christine
F. Heraux

15. Yellow jacket wasp

16. Spider
M. E. Bagley

17. Lady beetleadult
B. O’Neil

18. Who Am I?
Lady beetle
larva
D. Shetlar

19. Large grasping jaws! Ground
beetle

20. Hover
fly
D. Shetlar
R. E. Berry
Oregon State University

21. Hover fly versus yellow jacket wasp
•Number of wings
•Waist
•Shape of antenna
•Eyes E-44
E-92
R. E. Berry
D. Sheltar

22. Predatory mite
Spider mite
Predatorymitesversus spider mite

23. A stinger or ovipositor???
A parasite

24. Parasites
 Specialized in choice of host.
 Develop from eggs laid in or on a host (the
original “Alien”).
 Certain kinds of wasps and flies.
 Could be up to 1 million species!
 Smaller than host (stealth pays).
 Only the female searches for host.
 Leave a trail.
Parasites

25. Ovipositor
A parasite inaction
M. E. Bagley

26. Eggs or Pupae???
Eggs or Pupae?
A parasitizedtomato hornworm
J. L. Obermeyer

27. Parasitized insect was cut open
to show the parasites.
Parasitizedinsect cut open

28. Example of Parasite Lifecycle
Egg Larva
Adult Pupa
Parasitelifecycle
Statewide Integrated Pest Management Project: U. of California

29. Holes where
parasite escaped
Aphid mummy

30. Pathogens
 Kill, reduce reproduction, slow growth,
shorten life of pest.
 May take several days to provide control.
 Usually very specific.
 Leave a trail.
Pathogens

31. Insect Pathogens
 Fungi, example: Beauvaria bassiana
 Bacteria, example: Bt.
 Nematodes
 Viruses and protozoans
Insect pathogens

32. Insect
Mummy
covered with
Fungal Spores
Insect coveredwithfungal spores

33. Infected Larva
Viral fluid
Virus infectedlarva
D. Mc Cullough

34. Virus infectedlarva
D. Harns

35. <http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/nematodes/>
Infective Juveniles
Adults
Infected Host
Grub killed by a nematode

36. Lifecycle ofaparasiticnematode
Southern Cooperative
Series Bulletin 331, AK
Ag. Exp. Stn., Fayetteville,
AK 72701

37.  Predators: bigger, fewer, faster, big mouthparts.
 Parasites: small size, not easily seen by gardeners.
- many flies and wasps.
 Pathogens: cause disease in insects, not harmful to
other organisms.
Know the Natural Enemies
Take-home points
Know the natural enemies

38. Where can you learn to identify more natural
enemies?
http://entm29.entm.purdue.edu/acorn/acornsearch.aspx
Where canyou learnto identify more natural enemies?

39. Break
Please Visit our Demonstrations
Books
Alternative
pesticides
Natural enemies
collections
Live
ones!
More
collections

40. Section 2 Outline
 Why plant flowers in your landscape and garden
 Tips for purchasing natural enemies
 Alternative insecticides
 Using ACORN Alternative Control Guide to:
 plan your vegetable garden
 find biological control agents in your backyard
 Discovering biological control at home
Section2 outline

41. Why Plant
Flowers?
 To attract natural enemies.
 To provide shelter/shade.
 To produce pollen and nectar.
Why plant flowers?

42. Euonymus scale in Indiana
 2 generations/ year
 Scale sampling coincides
with crawler emergence
and estimates parasitism
of the parent generation
C. Sadof

43. Coreopsis
Goldenrod
White clover
Euonymus
Flowering spurge
R
e
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e
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p
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t
E. Rebek

44. Density of live female euonymus scale
0
2
4
6
8
10
Oct. 2000 Apr. 2001 July 2001 Oct. 2001
No Flower Low Flower High Flower
a
b
b
Mean
Number of
Live Female
Scales per
cm of Stem
per Plot
± S.E.M.
Means with the same letter are not significantly different (Fisher’s Protected LSD, p < 0.05).

45. Encarsia citrina
A
B
C
Larva
Pupa
Emergence Hole
Adult
D
Photos by E. Rebek

46. Natural enemy abundance in Euonymus
fortunei
(Sticky Cards 2001)
Mean
Number of
Natural
Enemies
per Plot
± S.E.M.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
No Flower Low Flower High Flower
June
May July August October
a
b
b
a
b
c a
a
b
Means with the same letter are not significantly different (Fisher’s Protected LSD, p < 0.05).

47. Where can you learn more about flowers
that attract natural enemies?
http://entm29.entm.purdue.edu/acorn/acornsearch.aspx
Where canyou learnmore about flowers that attract natural enemies?

48. Add what you need
Tips for Purchasing and Using Natural
Enemies:
 Identify the pest.
 Determine which natural enemy could work.
 Order from a reputable supplier.
 Check the quality.
 Follow directions.
 Evaluate. Did it work?
 Give the supplier & Extension feedback.
Add
what you
need

49. Where to purchase the good guys
Where to purchase
the good guys

50. Some pesticides kill more
pests than natural enemies
Use pesticides that are compatible with
biological control:
 Microbials
 Botanicals
 Insect growth regulators
 Others
Some pesticides kill more pests
than natural enemies

51. Microbial insecticides
Commercially prepared products that contain active
insect-pathogenic microorganisms
• Usually specific
Microbial insecticides
C. Sadof

52. Botanical insecticides
Naturally occurring toxic materials derived from
plants
Usually non-specific, with short residual activity
Botanical insecticides
C. Sadof

53. Other insecticides
Oils smother the insects.
• Nonspecific
Insecticidal soaps pass
through the insect
cuticle and poison it.
•Nonspecific, but
little residual activity.
Other insecticides
C. Sadof

54. Other insecticides
Spares most natural
enemies of spider mites and
aphids
Kills bees and wasps
Does not kill borers
Spinosad kills caterpillars, leafminers and thrips.
Other insecticides
F. Heraux

55. Using ACORN Alternative
Control Guide
Use the ACG to:
Identify pest and their natural enemies (NE) on
your landscape and garden plants.
Find alternative control tactics you can try.
Plan your vegetable garden.
Find flowers to feed and protect NE in your
garden.
Using
ACORN
Alternative
Control
Guide
(ACG)

56. Pest Profile
NE List
Photo, Name,
Vulnerable Stage of Pest,
Effectiveness
Alternative Controls
Crop Profile
Susceptibility to Insect Pests,
Pests, Photo, Active Months,
Damage Description,
Generation/Year
Natural Enemy Profile
Type, Life Stage Attacked
Commercially Available
Food and Shelter
Flowering Plant
Profile
Scientific Name,
Bloom Time
Family
Source of State Specific
Information
Suppliers of NE
Organization of the Alternative Control Guide
Organizationof the Alternative ControlGuide

57. ACG- Searchpage

58. ACG- Vegetable page with lists ofpotential pests

59. ACG- Alternative controls

60. ACG- A pest

61. ACG-
A
natural
enemy

62. ACG- A
flower

63. Insect tendency to
damage crops
Never or Rarely Sometimes Usually or Always
Carrot Asparagus Broccoli
Green onion Bean Cabbage
Lettuce Pepper Cantaloupe
Peas Spinach Cauliflower
Radish Tomato Cucumber
Eggplant
Potato
Squash
Sweet Corn
Insect tendencyto damage crops

64. Discover Biological
Control at Home
 Be an insect detective, find NE at home.
 Need help identifying the NE?
Use the ACORN Alternative Control Guide
(ACG):
- Picture
- Hints about location (e.g., food and shelter)
 Monthly reminder via email.
Discover biologicalcontrolat home

65. NE-slide

66. Lady Beetle
NE-slide

67. NE-slide

68. NE-slide

69. NE-
slid
e

70. NE-slide

71. Flower or Hover
or Syrphid Fly
NE-slide

72. Predatory mite
Spider mite
NE-slide

73. NE-slide

74. NE-slide

75. Eggs or Pupae???
NE-
slid
e

76. Insect
Mummy
covered with
Fungal Spores
NE-slide

77. Infected Larva
Viral fluid
NE-slide

78. To contact us:
Visit our web site at
www.entm.purdue.edu/acorn
or
Email: cliff_sadof@entm.purdue.edu
The End