Beneficial Insects Research Guide

An annotated guide to resources on Beneficial Insects

Beneficial insects play an important role in reducing and controlling populations of both plant and insect pests by acting as predators or parasites to these detrimental organisms. There are also insects that are innately beneficial because they act as pollinators or produce products (such as bees that pollinate and produce honey) that are useful to humans, however, the scope of this guide is limited to the beneficial insects that are used for biocontrol.

Biocontrol is a natural means of controlling pests that exploits the innate tendencies of particular living organisms (in this case insects) to regulate the population of another living organism or organisms (plant and insect pests). When utilized optimally, beneficial insects can significantly reduce the need to use chemicals that can harm not only the intended pests, but also the environment, other plant life, and animal life that is not the intended target of the pesticide. Because of the role that they play, beneficial insects are of great interest in the fields of biology, agriculture, and environmental sciences. They are also of great commercial interest since they can be mass-reared and sold for profit and can significantly improve crop and garden yields.

Resources for learning more about Beneficial Insects

Search terms can be used individually, or they can be combined to limit the number of matches you get when searching the online library catalog or any of the databases. The terms listed below that do not use the word insect will often yield best results when combined with the word insects or the term beneficial insects. With this particular topic, if you want to focus on a particular insect you should determine its scientific name and use the scientific name as a search term, especially when using one of the specialized databases. The common name of the insect will often work for the more general databases and web searches.

Beneficial Insects Biocontrol Insect pests--biological control Pests--biological control Beneficial insects and mutualism or mutualists Biological control agents Biological pest control agents Insects as biological pest control agents Insectary plants

Predatory insects Parasitoids Agricultural pests--biological control Beneficial insects and pest control Beneficial insects and pest management Insects--ecology Nature-conservation and beneficial insects Economic entomology Agricultural entomology

The general databases are good resources for basic information on beneficial insects. If you are required to use scholarly publications for a research paper, then the specialized databases are more pertinent resources.

ABI/Inform Complete (Proquest) coverage 1971-current This database's subject coverage includes agriculture, business, and economics, making it a prime general resource for obtaining information on beneficial insects. It includes over 1000 journals that allow full text access to their articles, plus indexes abstracts from more than 2000 additional publications. Searches can be limited to full text only. Example Search Results: Keyword search of beneficial insects yielded 666 hits Combined keyword search of beneficial insects and ladybugs yielded 32 hits Keyword search for predatory insects yielded 70 hits Combined keyword search of insects and biological control yielded 269 hits

Science Citation Index/ISI Web of Science coverage 1982-current This database provides broad coverage of the sciences, including biology, ecology, and agriculture. Over 5700 scientific journals are indexed in this database. As suggested by the database's title, citation searches can be performed in this database that allow you to access all indexed articles citing a particular author or work and see related articles to particular citations. You can also perform subject searches with this database. Example Search Results: Keyword search of beneficial insects yielded 174 hits Combined keyword search of parasitoids AND insects yielded 582 hits Combined keyword search of biological control agents AND insects yielded 148 hits

If the articles found in Science Citation Index were too scientific in nature, you might wish to consult these other general databases for more information on beneficial insects: Periodical Abstracts, Current Contents, InfoTrac-Expanded Academic ASAP, or Wilson Select Plus. *Note: The number of hits for each search were current as of 7/17/2004, but will change as the databases are updated. Not all hits were pertinent to the topic.

The specialized databases are good resources for scientific and scholarly publications on the topic of beneficial insects. When searching these databases, if you are focusing on a particular insect, it is important to find the insect's scientific name to improve your search results.

CAB Abstracts coverage 1972-current This database's subject coverage includes agriculture, horticulture, land management, environmental resources, biology, and more. With this scope of coverage, CAB Abstracts yields the highest number of pertinent hits for searches on beneficial insects. It includes references to works from over 10,000 different sources, including journals, dissertations, some book chapters, technical news releases, etc. For a manageable results list, perform combined searches with this database. Example Search Results: Keyword search of beneficial insects yielded 16,429 hits Combined keyword search for parasitoid and predatory insects and beneficial insects yielded 183 hits Combined keyword search of Chrysopidae (scientific name of green lacewing) and biocontrol yielded 48 hits Combined keyword search of green lacewing and biocontrol yielded only 5 hits

AGRIS coverage 1975-present This database covers the topics of agriculture, biology, environmental studies and more. The coverage of these topics is international and works indexed are from varied sources, such as journals, technical reports (some of which are unpublished), government documents, conference papers, etc. This is an excellent database to use if you are curious about the use of beneficial insects in other countries, since there are more than 135 countries that participate in the organizations contributing to this database. Example Search Results: Keyword search of beneficial insects yielded 391 hits Combined keyword search of beneficial insects and pest control yielded 119 hits Combined keyword search of biological control agents AND ladybugs yielded 3 hits Combined keyword search of biological control agents AND Coccinellidae (scientific name for lady beetles) yielded 355 hits

Other good specialized databases to consult for the topic of beneficial insects include: Biological Abstracts (BIOSIS), Zoological Records, GEOBASE, and SCIRUS. *Note: As stated under general databases, the number of hits for each search were current as of 7/17/2004, but will change as the databases are updated. Not all hits were pertinent to the topic. It is of special interest to see the increase in hit rate when using the scientific names of insects when searching the specialized databases.

The books listed below all contain pertinent information on beneficial insects, but the level of coverage on the topic varies. Some books are specifically on the topic of beneficial insects. However, some books contain limited references to the topic of beneficial insects as a whole, but are valuable resources if you would like to concentrate on a specific insect. If you do not wish to visit the individual libraries to obtain the books you want, you may request that the books be sent to the library of your choice. If you need help requesting or locating books, ask a librarian for assistance.

Agricultural entomology /Dennis S. Hill, assisted by Jeremy D. Hill (1994). Location: UIUC ACES Reference -- Call Number: 632.7 H5511A Beneficial insects and mites / prepared by Tess Henn and Rick Weinzierl. Alternatives in insect management series Circular / University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service ; v. 1298 (1990). Location: UIUC ACES Compact Stacks [non-circulating]-- Call Number: Q. 630.7 IL6C Beneficial insects; nature's alternatives to chemical insecticides: animal predation, parasitism, disease organisms [1st ed.]/ Swan, Lester A. (1964). Location: UIUC Biology Stacks, Natural History Stacks, Undergraduate Stacks,& University High Stacks-- Call Number: 632.1 SW2B Biological control / Roy G. Van Driesche, Thomas S. Bellows, Jr (1996). Location: UIUC ACES Stacks -- Call Number: 632.96 V287B Biological Control and Insect Pest Management / editorial committee, D. W. Davis,.chairman et al. ; contributing authors, M. T. AliNiazee et al. (1979). Location: UIUC ACES Stacks and Natural History Stacks -- Call Number: 632.7 B521 Biological control : measures of success / edited by Geoff Gurr and Steve Wratten (2000). Location: UIUC ACES Stacks -- Call Number: 632.96 B5213 Biological invasions of ecosystem by pests and beneficial organisms / edited by E. Yano et al. (1999). National Institute of Argo-Environmental Sciences (NIAES) Series ; no. 3. Location: UIUC ACES Stacks -- Call Number: 574.50952 B521 A colour handbook of biological control in plant protection / Neil Helyer, Kevin Brown, Nigel D. Cattlin (2003). Location: UIUC Biology Stacks -- Call Number: 632.96 H369c Conservation biological control / edited by Pedro Barbosa (1998). Location: UIUC ACES Stacks -- Call Number: 632.96 C765 Critical issues in biological control / edited by M. Mackauer and L. E. Ehler (1989). Location: UIUC ACES Stacks -- call Number: 632.96 C869 Destructive and useful insects : their habits and control, 5th ed. / Robert L. Metcalf and Robert A. Metcalf (1993). Location: UIUC ACES Reference [non-circulating], Biology Stacks, Natural History Stacks -- Call Number: 595.7 M56d1993 Encyclopedia of insects / editors, Vincent H. Resh, Ring T. Cardé (2003). Location: UIUC Natural History [non-circulating] -- Call Number: Q. 595.703 En192 Encyclopedia of pest management / edited by David Pimentel (2002). Location: UIUC ACES Reference and Natural History Reference -- Call Number: 363.78 En19 Enhancing biological control : habitat management to promote natural enemies of agricultural pests / Charles H. Pickett, Robert L. Bugg, editors (1998). Location: UIUC ACES Stacks -- Call Number: 632.96 En39 Handbook of biological control : principles and applications of biological control / editors, Thomas S. Bellows, T.W. Fisher ; associate editors, L.E. Caltagirone et al. (1999). Location: UIUC Undergraduate Stacks -- Call Number: Q. 632.96 H1912 Insects and gardens : in pursuit of a garden ecology / Eric Grissell ; with photographs by Carll Goodpasture (2001). Location: UIUC Natural History Stacks -- Call Number: 577.554 G889i Insects, experts, and the insecticide crisis : the quest for new pest management strategies / John H. Perkins (1982). Location: UIUC ACES Stacks, Biology Stacks, and Undergraduate Stacks -- Call Number: 363.73 P419I Insects and pest management in Australian agriculture / T.R. New. (2002). Location: UIUC ACES c.1 Temporarily Shelved at ACES New Books -- Call Number: 632.90994 N42i Insect pest management : techniques for environmental protection / edited by Jack E. Rechcigl and Nancy A. Rechcigl (2000). Agriculture and environment series. Location: UIUC ACES Stacks -- Call Number: 632.9517 In719, UIUC Main Stacks -- Call Number: SB933.3 .I53 2000 Insect wars / Sara van Dyck. First book series (1997). [Children's book] Location: UIUC Education Storage -- Call Number: S. 632.7 V288I Interchanges of insects between agricultural and surrounding landscapes / edited by B. Ekbom, M.E. Irwin and Y. Robert (2000). Location: UIUC ACES Stacks -- Call Number: 595.71755 In8 An introduction to biological control / Robert Van den Bosch, P.S. Messenger, and A.P. Gutierrez (1982). Location: UIUC ACES Stacks, Biology Stacks, and Undergraduate Stacks -- Call Number: 632.96 V26b1982 Mass-reared natural enemies : application, regulation, and needs / Richard L. Ridgway et al., editors (1998). Series: Thomas Say publications in entomology. Proceedings. Location: UIUC Natural History Stacks -- Call Number: 632.96 M381 Natural enemies : an introduction to biological control / Ann E. Hajek (2004). Location:UIUC ACES Stacks -- Call Number: 632.96 H127n Natural enemies handbook : the illustrated guide to biological pest control / Mary Louise Flint and Steve H. Dreistadt (1998). Location: UIUC ACES Stacks, Natural History Stacks -- Call Number: Q. 632.96 F646n The new encyclopedia of insects and their allies / edited by Christopher O'Toole (2002). Location: UIUC Biology Reference [non-circulating] -- Call Number: Q. 595.703 N42 Novel Approaches to Integrated Pest Management / edited by Reuveni, Reuven (1995). Location: UIUC ACES Stacks -- Call Number: 632.9 N857 Predatory Heteroptera : their ecology and use in biological control / Moshe Coll, John R. Ruberson, editors (1998). Series: Thomas Say publications in entomology. Proceedings. Location: UIUC Natural History Stacks -- Call Number: 595.754163 P912 Principles of insect parasitism analyzed from new perspectives : practical implications for regulating insect populations by biological means. Agriculture handbook (USDA) no. 693 / E.F. Knipling (1992). Location: UIUC ACES Stacks -- Call Number: 630 UN3AGH, UIUC Main Stacks Govt. Documents -- Call Number: DOC.A1.76:693, and UIUC Natural History Stacks -- Call Number: 632.96 K749P Theoretical approaches to biological control / edited by Bradford A. Hawkins and Howard V. Cornell (1999). Location: UIUC ACES Stacks -- Call Number: 632.96 T343 The use of natural enemies to control agricultural pests / proceedings of International Seminar [on] the Use of Parasitoids and Predators to Control Agricultural Pests, held in Tsukuba, Japan, October 2-7, 1989 (1990). FFTC book series ; no. 40. Location: UIUC ACES Stacks -- Call Number: 632.96 US2U What good are bugs? : insects in the web of life / Gilbert Waldbauer (2003). Location: UIUC Biology Stacks -- Call Number: 595.717 W143w A worldwide guide to beneficial animals (insects, mites, nematodes) used for pest control purposes / by W.T. Thomson (1992). Location: UIUC ACES Stacks -- Call Number: 632.96 T387W

The Web pages listed below contain information that will help you to obtain some more general information on beneficial insects and give you the opportunity to learn how to optimize your garden for beneficial insects. All Web sites listed were active as of 7/21/2004.

Association of Natural Biocontrol Producers This professional organization is commited to using beneficial insects and promoting them to naturally control pests, including plant and insect pests. Beneficial Insects in Your Back Yard Maintained by the University of Maine, this site provides an overview of beneficial insects, photos and descriptions of various beneficial insects, a chart listing beneficial insects and their prey, and information on beneficial insects that you can mail-order. Beneficial Insects in the Home, Yard and Garden This page is compliments of The University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Cooperative Extension Service and provides a brief introduction on beneficial insects, followed by information on making your garden or yard hospitable to beneficial insects, drawings of beneficial insects and descriptions, and also provides precautions on pesticide use. Beneficial Insects page of Clemson This site provides links to particular beneficial insects and each link contains a photograph of the insect and a brief description of the insect. Biocontrol Website This Web site, maintained by the USDA laboratory at University of Florida, Gainesville, provides information on specific pest species being studied by the laboratory, as well as general information on biocontrol, and information on parasitiods. Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America This site is maintained by Cornell University and provides information on beneficial insects, including descriptions, targeted pests, commercial availability, effectiveness and susceptibility to pesticides, conservation and photos. Biocontrol for the Public This site, authored by Dr. L. T. Kok, Ph.D. Entomology, provides a good description of biocontrol and is a great introduction to the various terms used in biological control. Biological Control Virtual Information Center This site is maintained by North Carolina State University and is an excellent didactic source on beneficial insects and use of biological control. Colorado State University Cooperative Extension: Beneficial Insects and Other Arthropods Large photos of various beneficial insects, with descriptions and information on acquiring these insects commercially. Iowa State Entomology Index: Biological Control This site provides a listing of websites on the topic of biological control. If you want links to sites beyond what is listed here, this is a good resource. Integrated Pest Management for Vegetable Gardens This site, prepared by Virginia Tech, provides information for reducing pest populations in gardens. Topics covered include soil preparation, plant selection, cultural practices, encouraging beneficial insects, a chart picturing and describing beneficial insects and mites, and chemical controls. Midwest Biological Control News This Web site offers the back issues of the Midwest Biological Control News, a newsletter that was discontinued in 1999. Although these issues are a little dated at this time, the newsletters still have pertinent information to peruse. University of Idaho Beneficial Insects Page This page categorizes beneficial insects as parasitoids or parasites and provides a picture and brief description of insects in both categories.

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Compiled by Alison Scott
Last updated 08/11/04

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08-11-2004 MMA