Man-made habitats, such as agricultural fields and silvicultural plantations, may be predisposed to outbreaks of phytophagous insects because the depauperate plant community does not offer critical resources to maintain populations of natural enemies. Because they are artificial and ecologically imbalanced, ornamental landscapes are similarly susceptible to outbreaks of herbivorous insects. Ornamental landscapes may fail to provide sufficient food for natural enemies, especially nectar and pollen, limiting their effectiveness in controlling phytophagous pests. Our research findings suggest that including flowering forbs in ornamental plantings greatly increases the abundance of natural enemies. In one study, flowers influenced searching behavior of female parasitoids, encouraging them to attack hosts in the immediate vicinity. These studies contributes to a growing body of literature that demonstrates that ecological methods of pest management could be integrated into the design of urban landscapes to combat phytophagous pests in ornamental landscapes.
Species 1: Lepidoptera Psychidae (Evergreen bagworm)
Species 2: Homoptera Diaspididae (Pine needle scale)
Keywords: parasitoid, intraguild predation
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