PREDACEOUS COCCINELLIDAE IN BIOLOGICAL-CONTROL

Coccinellids have been widely used in biological, control for over a c entury, and the methods for using these predators have remained virtua lly unchanged. The causes for the relatively low rates of establishmen t of coccinellids in importation biological control have not been exam ined for most species. Augmentative releases of several coccinellid sp ecies are well documented and effective; however, ineffective species continue to be used because of ease of collection. For most agricultur al systems, conservation techniques for coccinellids are lacking, even though they are abundant in these habitats. Evaluation techniques are available, but quantitative assessments of the efficacy of coccinelli ds have not been done for most species in most agricultural crops. Gre ater emphasis is needed on evaluation, predator specificity, understan ding colonization of new environments, and assessment of community-lev el interactions to maximize the use of coccinellids in biological cont rol.