IMPORTATION BIOLOGICAL-CONTROL IN EPHEMERAL CROP HABITATS

Most documented successes in importation biological control are progra ms on perennial crops, and much biological control theory derives from these programs. This theory suggests the ideal traits of natural enem ies for biological control not only in perennial crops but also in ann ual crops (i.e., crop plant is destroyed annually; ephemeral crop habi tat). Some biological control theory extracted from successes on peren nial crops is unsuited for ephemeral crops. This theory then causes ep hemeral crops to be generally viewed as poor candidates for importatio n biological control; it may also be equally incompetent for directing natural enemy conservation and augmentation in these crops. Ephemeral habitats should be used for developing approaches, mechanisms, theory , and principles for effective natural enemies in these habitats. This contention is supported with examples. Insight is drawn from each exa mple and focuses mainly on an alternate view of effective enemy charac teristics needed for importation biological control in ephemeral crops . (C) 1997 Academic Press.