{"count":40,"category":"parasitoid","entries":[{"slug":"ophyra-pupal-parasitoid","commonName":"Anasius Pupal Parasitoid","scientificName":"Aphelinus abdominalis","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["aphid-green-peach","aphid-lettuce","pea-aphid"],"attractedBy":["sweet-alyssum","buckwheat","dill"],"habitatNeeds":"Greenhouse and protected vegetable production. Used commercially as a complementary aphid biocontrol with Aphidius species.","gardenRole":"Targets larger aphid species missed by Aphidius colemani. Mummified aphids are black instead of tan, an easily diagnosed field sign.","identificationTips":"2-3mm, dark with yellow markings, thread-thin waist. Diagnostic sign: black aphid mummies on leaves alongside live aphid colonies.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["greenhouse"],"source":"Cornell Cooperative Extension biocontrol fact sheets"},{"slug":"braconid-wasp-aphidius-colemani","commonName":"Aphidius Wasp (Colemani)","scientificName":"Aphidius colemani","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["aphid-green-peach","aphid-cabbage","aphid-lettuce"],"attractedBy":["sweet-alyssum","buckwheat","dill","fennel-herb"],"habitatNeeds":"Greenhouse, high tunnel, and outdoor vegetable beds. Sold commercially against green peach aphid in protected pepper, cucumber, and ornamental crops.","gardenRole":"Lays a single egg inside each aphid; larva consumes the aphid from inside; the dead aphid swells into a tan papery 'mummy' from which the new wasp emerges. A single female parasitizes 100-200 aphids in her lifetime.","identificationTips":"Adults 2-3mm, black, thread-waisted, with long antennae. The diagnostic sign is the aphid mummy: a swollen tan or bronze papery aphid stuck to the leaf, often with a small round exit hole.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"Cornell Cooperative Extension biocontrol fact sheets; UC IPM"},{"slug":"braconid-wasp-aphidius-ervi","commonName":"Aphidius Wasp (Ervi)","scientificName":"Aphidius ervi","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["pea-aphid","aphid-cabbage","aphid-lettuce","soybean-aphid"],"attractedBy":["sweet-alyssum","buckwheat","dill","fennel-herb"],"habitatNeeds":"Greenhouse and outdoor production with continuous bloom. Larger-aphid specialist; companion release to A. colemani in commercial systems.","gardenRole":"Parasitoid of larger aphid species (pea aphid, potato aphid). Produces tan papery mummies; commonly released against late-season pea and lettuce aphid outbreaks.","identificationTips":"Adults 3-4mm, slightly larger than A. colemani, dark with thread-thin waist. Mummies are similar in appearance to A. colemani: swollen tan papery aphid attached to leaf.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"Cornell Cooperative Extension biocontrol fact sheets"},{"slug":"diolcogaster-facetosa","commonName":"Armyworm Parasitoid","scientificName":"Diolcogaster facetosa","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["fall-armyworm"],"attractedBy":["sweet-corn","sweet-alyssum","dill"],"habitatNeeds":"Corn, sorghum, and grass-adjacent vegetable beds. Native to North America; one of the leading parasitoids of fall armyworm in the southern US.","gardenRole":"Parasitizes early-instar fall armyworm larvae; multiple wasps emerge from a single host. Important in suppressing armyworm outbreaks in late summer corn.","identificationTips":"3-5mm, dark, slender. Diagnostic field sign: cluster of small white papery cocoons next to a dead armyworm caterpillar.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter","spring"]},"regions":["south_central","southeast"],"source":"USDA-ARS; UF/IFAS Featured Creatures"},{"slug":"metaphycus-helvolus","commonName":"Black Scale Parasitoid","scientificName":"Metaphycus helvolus","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["scale-san-jose","scale-white-peach"],"attractedBy":["apple-honeycrisp","apple-standard","peach"],"habitatNeeds":"Orchards, citrus, and ornamental landscapes with established soft scale populations. Native to South Africa; introduced for biocontrol.","gardenRole":"Parasitizes immature soft scales; one of the most effective biological controls on black scale in California citrus.","identificationTips":"Tiny (1mm), yellow. Diagnostic field sign: small round exit holes in soft scale covers.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["southwest","south_central"],"source":"UC IPM biocontrol release records"},{"slug":"chalcid-wasp-brachymeria","commonName":"Brachymeria Chalcid Wasp","scientificName":"Brachymeria spp.","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["cabbage-worm","cabbage-looper","tomato-fruitworm"],"attractedBy":["dill","fennel-herb","yarrow","sweet-alyssum"],"habitatNeeds":"Diverse gardens with continuous bloom. Parasitizes lepidopteran pupae rather than larvae.","gardenRole":"Late-stage parasitoid: female stings a host caterpillar pupa and inserts an egg. Larva consumes the host from within the pupal case; adult emerges through a small hole.","identificationTips":"5-8mm, stout, dark with metallic blue-green tint, broad swollen hind femurs (the diagnostic structure for chalcid wasps in this group). Wings clear.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"UF/IFAS Featured Creatures"},{"slug":"braconid-wasp-diaeretiella-rapae","commonName":"Cabbage Aphid Braconid","scientificName":"Diaeretiella rapae","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["cabbage-aphid","aphid-cabbage"],"attractedBy":["sweet-alyssum","buckwheat","yarrow","mustard-yellow-condiment"],"habitatNeeds":"Specialist on aphids in brassica crops. Adults are attracted to mustard-family volatiles, so brassica-adjacent flowering is unusually effective.","gardenRole":"Persistent biological control on cabbage aphid in kale, broccoli, and brussels-sprouts beds. Distinctive black mummies on leaves and stems.","identificationTips":"Adults 1.5-2mm, brown-black, thread-thin. The diagnostic sign is the black, swollen aphid mummy on brassica leaves (other aphid parasitoids leave tan mummies; Diaeretiella's are darker).","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"USDA-ARS; Cornell Cooperative Extension"},{"slug":"braconid-wasp-cotesia-glomerata","commonName":"Cabbage Worm Braconid","scientificName":"Cotesia glomerata","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["cabbage-worm"],"attractedBy":["dill","fennel-herb","yarrow","sweet-alyssum","buckwheat","anise-hyssop","cilantro"],"habitatNeeds":"Female wasps locate cabbage white butterfly caterpillars by scent and lay 20-50 eggs inside each. Provide continuous small-flower bloom in and around brassica beds.","gardenRole":"Primary natural enemy of imported cabbage worm. Parasitized caterpillars stop eating mid-instar; bright yellow pupal masses appear next to the dying caterpillar within a few days. Single most effective biological control on cabbage white butterflies in northeastern gardens.","identificationTips":"Adults 3-7mm, dark brown to black, slender. Diagnostic sign: a slowly dying green cabbage caterpillar standing over a cluster of 20-40 small bright-yellow oval pupae spun into a loose cottony mass on a brassica leaf.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter","spring"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"Cornell Cooperative Extension; Penn State Extension"},{"slug":"tachinid-fly-voria","commonName":"Caterpillar Tachinid","scientificName":"Voria ruralis","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["cabbage-looper","fall-armyworm","cabbage-worm"],"attractedBy":["dill","fennel-herb","yarrow","sweet-alyssum"],"habitatNeeds":"Diverse open garden and field environments with continuous bloom. Widely distributed across temperate North America.","gardenRole":"Important parasitoid of cabbage looper, especially in late season when looper populations build. Larvae develop inside the caterpillar host.","identificationTips":"8-11mm, gray-black bristly tachinid with reddish abdomen tip. Eggs are laid directly on host caterpillars; the white oval egg glued to a caterpillar's back is the diagnostic sign.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter","spring"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"Cornell Cooperative Extension; UC IPM"},{"slug":"braconid-wasp-lysiphlebus-testaceipes","commonName":"Cereal Aphid Wasp","scientificName":"Lysiphlebus testaceipes","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["wheat-aphid","sugarcane-aphid","soybean-aphid","aphid-green-peach"],"attractedBy":["sweet-alyssum","buckwheat","dill"],"habitatNeeds":"Grain, sorghum, and grass-adjacent vegetable beds. Native across central and southern North America.","gardenRole":"Important wild aphid parasitoid in southern grain belts; also takes vegetable-garden aphid species. A single wasp parasitizes 200-300 aphids across its life.","identificationTips":"Adults 1.5-2.5mm, light brown, thread-waisted. Mummies are tan with a small round exit hole.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["south_central","southeast","midwest"],"source":"USDA-ARS; Texas A&M AgriLife Extension"},{"slug":"ichneumon-wasp-pimpla","commonName":"Common Ichneumon Wasp","scientificName":"Pimpla spp.","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["cabbage-worm","cabbage-looper","diamondback-moth","codling-moth","oriental-fruit-moth"],"attractedBy":["dill","fennel-herb","yarrow","anise-hyssop","parsley-flat"],"habitatNeeds":"Diverse garden with continuous bloom of small-flowered umbellifers and asters. Females search for host caterpillars by scent and visual cues; pupae are common parasitoid targets.","gardenRole":"Female stings a host caterpillar and lays an egg inside; larva consumes the host and pupates inside the dead body. Especially common in fruit and brassica gardens.","identificationTips":"12-20mm, black with reddish legs and prominent threadlike antennae longer than the body. Female has a needle-like ovipositor under the abdomen used to insert eggs into hosts.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"UF/IFAS Featured Creatures; Xerces Society 'Garden Wasp Guide'"},{"slug":"tachinid-fly-compsilura","commonName":"Compsilura Tachinid","scientificName":"Compsilura concinnata","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["fall-armyworm","cabbage-looper","tomato-hornworm","cabbage-worm"],"attractedBy":["sweet-alyssum","yarrow","dill"],"habitatNeeds":"Diverse vegetable and woodland edge environments. Introduced for gypsy moth control in 1906; now persists across eastern North America.","gardenRole":"Generalist caterpillar parasitoid; attacks over 200 host species across many families. Useful pest suppressor but also implicated in declines of native saturniid moths; mixed ecological standing.","identificationTips":"7-9mm, gray with reddish eyes, dark stripes on the thorax. Larviparous: deposits live maggots directly onto caterpillars rather than laying eggs.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["eastern_north_america"],"source":"USDA-Forest Service biocontrol records; Xerces Society note on introduced parasitoids"},{"slug":"edovum-puttleri","commonName":"CPB Egg Parasitoid","scientificName":"Edovum puttleri","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["colorado-potato-beetle"],"attractedBy":[],"habitatNeeds":"Tropical species; deployed in late season against Colorado potato beetle egg masses on potato and eggplant. Does not overwinter outdoors in most of North America.","gardenRole":"Parasitizes CPB eggs directly; a single female parasitizes 100-200 eggs in her lifetime. Used in research and limited commercial release.","identificationTips":"Microscopic (1mm), dark metallic green. Diagnostic field sign: CPB egg clusters turning black instead of orange-yellow.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["summer"],"dormant":["winter","spring","fall"]},"regions":["eastern_north_america"],"source":"USDA-ARS biocontrol research"},{"slug":"tachinid-fly-myiopharus","commonName":"CPB Tachinid Fly","scientificName":"Myiopharus doryphorae","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["colorado-potato-beetle"],"attractedBy":["sweet-alyssum","dill","yarrow"],"habitatNeeds":"Potato, eggplant, and tomato beds. Active in mid-summer when CPB larvae are abundant.","gardenRole":"Larviparous: deposits live first-instar maggots directly onto CPB larvae rather than laying eggs. Maggots burrow into and consume the host larva.","identificationTips":"8-10mm, gray-and-black tachinid with bristly abdomen and large red eyes. The diagnostic field sign is dead, shrunken CPB larvae with a single small exit hole.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["summer"],"dormant":["winter","spring","fall"]},"regions":["eastern_north_america","midwest"],"source":"Cornell Cooperative Extension biocontrol fact sheets"},{"slug":"celatoria-setosa","commonName":"Cucumber Beetle Tachinid","scientificName":"Celatoria setosa","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["cucumber-beetle-spotted","cucumber-beetle-striped"],"attractedBy":["sweet-alyssum","dill","yarrow","buckwheat"],"habitatNeeds":"Cucurbit-rich gardens. Active across the cucumber beetle adult flight period.","gardenRole":"Native tachinid parasitoid of striped and spotted cucumber beetles. Larviparous: drops live first-instar maggots onto beetle hosts. Modest field impact but the closest thing to a biological control on adult cucumber beetles.","identificationTips":"5-7mm, gray bristly tachinid with reddish eyes. Adult cucumber beetles with shrunken bodies or visible small exit holes indicate parasitism.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter","spring"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"USDA-ARS; Cornell Cooperative Extension"},{"slug":"diadegma-insulare","commonName":"Diamondback Moth Parasitoid","scientificName":"Diadegma insulare","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["diamondback-moth"],"attractedBy":["sweet-alyssum","buckwheat","yarrow","dill"],"habitatNeeds":"Brassica crops with adjacent flowering plants. The single most important natural enemy of diamondback moth in North America.","gardenRole":"Parasitizes second- to fourth-instar diamondback moth larvae; under high parasitism, can suppress DBM populations below threshold even without spraying.","identificationTips":"5-7mm, slender, black-and-yellow legs, long thread-like antennae. Female has a short curved ovipositor. Mummies are visible as small papery cocoons attached to brassica leaves.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"Cornell Cooperative Extension biocontrol fact sheets; USDA-ARS"},{"slug":"encarsia-formosa","commonName":"Encarsia Formosa Whitefly Wasp","scientificName":"Encarsia formosa","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["whitefly"],"attractedBy":["pepper-california-wonder","tomato","cucumber"],"habitatNeeds":"Greenhouse and high tunnel tomato, pepper, and cucumber production at 20-30C with humidity above 50 percent. The first commercially available biocontrol parasitoid, used since the 1920s.","gardenRole":"Lays a single egg inside a whitefly nymph; larva consumes the host from inside; the parasitized nymph turns black instead of the normal pale yellow. A single female parasitizes 50-100 nymphs in her lifetime.","identificationTips":"Tiny (0.6mm), black head and thorax, pale yellow abdomen, almost invisible without a hand lens. The diagnostic sign is a black whitefly pupa on the leaf underside next to live yellow pupae.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall","winter"],"dormant":[]},"regions":["greenhouse"],"source":"Cornell Cooperative Extension biocontrol fact sheets; UF/IFAS"},{"slug":"eretmocerus-eremicus","commonName":"Eretmocerus Whitefly Wasp","scientificName":"Eretmocerus eremicus","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["whitefly"],"attractedBy":["pepper-california-wonder","tomato","cucumber"],"habitatNeeds":"Higher-temperature greenhouse and outdoor production than E. formosa; performs above 27C in arid and semi-arid environments.","gardenRole":"Specialist on silverleaf and sweet potato whiteflies, especially in pepper and cucurbit crops. Parasitized pupae turn pale yellow with a visible internal yellow wasp larva, then a small round exit hole.","identificationTips":"Tiny (0.7mm), pale yellow throughout (no dark head like Encarsia). Diagnostic sign in the field is yellow pupae with a small round exit hole on the leaf underside.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["arid","semi_arid","greenhouse"],"source":"UF/IFAS biocontrol fact sheets; UC IPM"},{"slug":"macrocentrus-grandii","commonName":"European Corn Borer Parasitoid","scientificName":"Macrocentrus grandii","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["european-corn-borer"],"attractedBy":["sweet-corn","buckwheat","sweet-alyssum"],"habitatNeeds":"Sweet corn, popcorn, and field corn with sustained ECB populations.","gardenRole":"Polyembryonic braconid: one egg divides into 5-30 larvae, all feeding inside a single host caterpillar. A leading natural enemy of European corn borer in the midwestern US.","identificationTips":"5-7mm, slender, brown with darker wings. Mass of small papery cocoons clustered next to a dead caterpillar inside corn stalk is the diagnostic sign.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter","spring"]},"regions":["midwest","eastern_north_america"],"source":"Cornell Cooperative Extension; Penn State Extension"},{"slug":"tachinid-fly-trichopoda","commonName":"Feather-Legged Fly","scientificName":"Trichopoda pennipes","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["squash-bug","stink-bug","tarnished-plant-bug"],"attractedBy":["sweet-alyssum","dill","fennel-herb","yarrow","anise-hyssop","cilantro"],"habitatNeeds":"Continuous nectar bloom adjacent to cucurbit and bean beds. Common throughout North America.","gardenRole":"Lays single white eggs on the body of adult squash bugs and stink bugs; larva burrows into the host and consumes it from within. One of the few biological controls effective on adult squash bugs.","identificationTips":"10-13mm, stocky, orange abdomen with a black tip, dark thorax, and conspicuous black hindleg fringe. The single white egg glued onto a live squash bug's pronotum is the diagnostic field sign.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter","spring"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"UF/IFAS Featured Creatures; Cornell Cooperative Extension"},{"slug":"muscidifurax-raptorellus","commonName":"Filth Fly Parasitoid","scientificName":"Muscidifurax raptorellus","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["onion-maggot"],"attractedBy":[],"habitatNeeds":"Livestock, compost, and manure-associated environments. Released commercially against filth flies in livestock operations.","gardenRole":"Parasitoid of fly pupae in manure and compost; reduces emerging adult fly populations. Indirectly useful in gardens with composting livestock manure.","identificationTips":"2-3mm, dark, with metallic blue-green tint. Parasitism inferred from blackened fly pupae in compost.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"USDA-ARS; UF/IFAS Featured Creatures"},{"slug":"ichneumon-wasp-megarhyssa","commonName":"Giant Ichneumon Wasp","scientificName":"Megarhyssa macrurus","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["raspberry-cane-borer","peach-tree-borer","lesser-peachtree-borer"],"attractedBy":["apple-honeycrisp","apple-standard","pear-bartlett","peach"],"habitatNeeds":"Mature woodlands and orchards with dead and dying wood; larvae develop inside wood-boring host larvae.","gardenRole":"Specialist on wood-boring beetle and sawfly larvae. Not a major vegetable-garden parasitoid; included as a friend-not-foe identification reference because of the dramatic appearance.","identificationTips":"Female body 35-50mm with an extremely long thin ovipositor (75-150mm) trailing behind. Body yellow and black-striped; the ovipositor looks like a black hair on stiff trail. Males lack the long ovipositor.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["summer"],"dormant":["winter","spring","fall"]},"regions":["eastern_north_america"],"source":"UF/IFAS Featured Creatures"},{"slug":"braconid-wasp-cotesia-congregata","commonName":"Hornworm Braconid Wasp","scientificName":"Cotesia congregata","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["tomato-hornworm","pepper-hornworm"],"attractedBy":["dill","fennel-herb","yarrow","sweet-alyssum","cilantro","anise-hyssop","basil"],"habitatNeeds":"Adults nectar on small open flowers; provide continuous bloom across the tomato-growing season. Leave parasitized hornworms in place to release the next wasp generation.","gardenRole":"The reason for the white rice-grain cocoons clinging to a hornworm's back. A single female wasp lays 65-100 eggs inside a young hornworm; larvae develop internally, then emerge through the cuticle to spin external pupae. The hornworm stops feeding and dies.","identificationTips":"Adult wasps tiny (3-4mm), black with smoky wings, slender thread-thin waist; rarely noticed. The diagnostic sign is the cluster of 30-80 oblong, white, rice-grain-sized pupal cocoons attached vertically along the back of a hornworm. Once seen, unmistakable.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter","spring"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"UF/IFAS Featured Creatures; Cornell Cooperative Extension"},{"slug":"tachinid-fly-istocheta","commonName":"Japanese Beetle Tachinid","scientificName":"Istocheta aldrichi","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["japanese-beetle"],"attractedBy":["sweet-alyssum","yarrow","dill"],"habitatNeeds":"Areas with established Japanese beetle populations. Active during the adult beetle flight in June-July.","gardenRole":"Glues a small white egg behind the head of an adult female Japanese beetle. The larva burrows in, kills the beetle within days, and pupates in the soil. Currently the most promising biological control of Japanese beetle in the northeast.","identificationTips":"7-9mm, gray-black with red eyes, bristly. The single white egg cemented to the back of a Japanese beetle's pronotum (visible to the naked eye against the iridescent green) is the diagnostic field sign.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["summer"],"dormant":["winter","spring","fall"]},"regions":["eastern_north_america","midwest"],"source":"Cornell Cooperative Extension; USDA-APHIS biocontrol releases"},{"slug":"anagrus-epos","commonName":"Leafhopper Egg Parasitoid","scientificName":"Anagrus epos","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["leafhopper-potato","potato-leafhopper"],"attractedBy":["sweet-alyssum"],"habitatNeeds":"Vineyards, hop yards, and potato fields. The classic vineyard biological control on grape leafhopper.","gardenRole":"Egg parasitoid of leafhoppers; one of the smallest insects in the world. Population persists in nearby blackberry refuges where alternate-host leafhopper eggs sustain the wasp through winter.","identificationTips":"Microscopic (0.3-0.5mm), orange-yellow. Visible only under high magnification; presence inferred from blackened leafhopper eggs in leaf tissue.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"UC IPM; Cornell Cooperative Extension"},{"slug":"diglyphus-isaea","commonName":"Leafminer Parasitoid","scientificName":"Diglyphus isaea","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["leaf-miner","leaf-miner-beet","leaf-miner-spinach"],"attractedBy":["lettuce-romaine","sweet-alyssum"],"habitatNeeds":"Greenhouse and field crops with leafminer pressure. Used commercially in chrysanthemum, gerbera, and tomato production.","gardenRole":"Parasitoid of leaf miner larvae inside leaf mines. Female stings the larva through the upper leaf surface, then lays an egg next to the paralyzed host. Used worldwide in protected ornamental production.","identificationTips":"1.5-2mm, metallic green-black, with stout body. Diagnostic field sign: dead, dried leaf miner larvae visible inside otherwise active leaf mines.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["greenhouse","all"],"source":"Cornell Cooperative Extension; UF/IFAS biocontrol fact sheets"},{"slug":"anaphes-iole","commonName":"Lygus Egg Parasitoid","scientificName":"Anaphes iole","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["tarnished-plant-bug"],"attractedBy":["sweet-alyssum"],"habitatNeeds":"Strawberry, cotton, and field-vegetable crops. Released against tarnished plant bug (lygus) eggs.","gardenRole":"Egg parasitoid of lygus bugs; reduces damaging nymph populations before feeding damage occurs.","identificationTips":"Microscopic (0.5mm), dark. Parasitism inferred from drop in lygus nymph populations 7-10 days after release.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer"],"dormant":["winter","fall"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"UC IPM biocontrol research"},{"slug":"leiophron-uniformis","commonName":"Lygus Nymph Parasitoid","scientificName":"Leiophron uniformis","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["tarnished-plant-bug"],"attractedBy":["sweet-alyssum"],"habitatNeeds":"Strawberry, alfalfa, and vegetable crops. Native parasitoid of nymph-stage lygus bugs.","gardenRole":"Parasitizes lygus nymphs; emerging adults leave the host body. Companion to Anaphes (egg parasitoid) in commercial biological control.","identificationTips":"2-3mm, dark brown, thread-thin waist. Parasitism inferred from drop in lygus nymph populations and small papery cocoons next to dead nymphs.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer"],"dormant":["winter","fall"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"USDA-ARS; UC IPM"},{"slug":"pediobius-foveolatus","commonName":"Mexican Bean Beetle Parasitoid","scientificName":"Pediobius foveolatus","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["mexican-bean-beetle"],"attractedBy":["pole-bean"],"habitatNeeds":"Released commercially against Mexican bean beetle in mid-Atlantic and eastern US snap bean and soybean crops. Tropical species; does not overwinter.","gardenRole":"Lays multiple eggs inside MBB larvae; the parasitized larvae turn brown and stay stuck on bean leaves as 'mummies' from which 25-75 new wasps emerge. Among the most successful augmentative biological control programs in US vegetable agriculture.","identificationTips":"Tiny (2-3mm), dark with metallic green tint. Diagnostic field sign: brown mummified MBB larvae frozen on bean leaves with multiple small round exit holes.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter","spring"]},"regions":["eastern_north_america","midwest"],"source":"Cornell Cooperative Extension; New Jersey Department of Agriculture biocontrol program"},{"slug":"psyllaephagus-pilosus","commonName":"Psyllid Parasitoid","scientificName":"Psyllaephagus pilosus","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["asian-citrus-psyllid","psyllid-carrot"],"attractedBy":["sweet-alyssum"],"habitatNeeds":"Citrus and carrot crops with established psyllid pressure. Used against eucalyptus psyllid in California landscapes.","gardenRole":"Parasitoid of psyllid nymphs; emerged adults leave round exit holes in mummified nymphs on host leaves.","identificationTips":"Microscopic (1-2mm), dark metallic. Parasitism inferred from blackened mummified psyllid nymphs on host plant.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["southwest","southeast"],"source":"UC IPM biocontrol research"},{"slug":"ichneumon-wasp-ophion","commonName":"Short-tailed Ichneumon","scientificName":"Ophion spp.","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["cutworm","cuteworm-variegated","cabbage-looper","tomato-hornworm","fall-armyworm"],"attractedBy":["dill","fennel-herb","yarrow","parsley-flat"],"habitatNeeds":"Active at night; attracted to porch and outdoor lights. Provide diverse nectar-bearing perennials in semi-shaded garden corners.","gardenRole":"Nocturnal parasitoid of large moth caterpillars including hornworms and cutworms. Often seen by gardeners flying around outdoor lights and mistaken for a stinging wasp; harmless to humans.","identificationTips":"15-25mm, slender, golden-orange to amber-tan, with very long antennae. Flies erratically at night. Female has a short curved ovipositor.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"UF/IFAS Featured Creatures; Penn State Extension"},{"slug":"dacnusa-sibirica","commonName":"Sibirica Leafminer Parasitoid","scientificName":"Dacnusa sibirica","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["leaf-miner","leaf-miner-beet","leaf-miner-spinach"],"attractedBy":["lettuce-romaine","sweet-alyssum"],"habitatNeeds":"Cool-season greenhouse crops. Used in combination with Diglyphus for season-long leafminer biological control.","gardenRole":"Endoparasitoid: lays egg inside leaf miner larva; the parasitoid pupates inside the host puparium. Effective at temperatures lower than Diglyphus's optimum.","identificationTips":"2-3mm, dark, thread-thin waist. Parasitism inferred from small round exit holes in leaf miner puparia.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall","winter"],"dormant":[]},"regions":["greenhouse"],"source":"Cornell Cooperative Extension biocontrol fact sheets"},{"slug":"spalangia-cameroni","commonName":"Spalangia Pupal Parasitoid","scientificName":"Spalangia cameroni","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["cabbage-root-maggot","onion-maggot"],"attractedBy":[],"habitatNeeds":"Manure, compost, and soil environments with fly pupae. Used commercially in livestock operations and brassica/allium field crops.","gardenRole":"Soil-active fly pupa parasitoid; companion to Muscidifurax in commercial biocontrol releases. Reduces emerging fly populations from soil-pupating root maggot species.","identificationTips":"2-3mm, dark, glossy. Parasitism inferred from blackened fly pupae.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"USDA-ARS; Cornell Cooperative Extension"},{"slug":"tachinid-fly-aphantorhaphopsis","commonName":"Sphinx Moth Tachinid","scientificName":"Compsilura concinnata (light strain)","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["tomato-hornworm","pepper-hornworm"],"attractedBy":["dill","fennel-herb","yarrow","anise-hyssop"],"habitatNeeds":"Diverse vegetable garden with continuous bloom for adult nectar. Lays eggs on or near hornworm larvae.","gardenRole":"Backup hornworm parasitoid where braconid wasps are absent. Less common than Cotesia in vegetable gardens but a useful natural enemy in mixed plantings.","identificationTips":"8-12mm, gray-black bristly tachinid with red eyes. Single white eggs on the back of a hornworm (vs. the dozens of white braconid cocoons) suggest tachinid parasitism.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter","spring"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"USDA-ARS; Penn State Extension"},{"slug":"scelionid-trissolcus","commonName":"Stink Bug Egg Parasitoid","scientificName":"Trissolcus japonicus","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["stink-bug","harlequin-bug"],"attractedBy":["sweet-alyssum","buckwheat"],"habitatNeeds":"Field and orchard environments with established stink bug pressure. Released and monitored as biological control on brown marmorated stink bug across the eastern US.","gardenRole":"Specialist egg parasitoid of pentatomid stink bugs. Parasitized egg masses turn black instead of pale green. The most studied biological control for BMSB.","identificationTips":"Microscopic (1-2mm), black, with bent antennae. Diagnostic sign: blackened stink bug egg masses on leaves with small round exit holes per egg.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"USDA-ARS BMSB biocontrol research; Cornell Cooperative Extension"},{"slug":"habrobracon-hebetor","commonName":"Stored-Grain Moth Parasitoid","scientificName":"Habrobracon hebetor","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["fall-armyworm","corn-earworm"],"attractedBy":["sweet-alyssum"],"habitatNeeds":"Stored grain, dry beans, and field crops. Used commercially in stored-product pest management; also active in field crops against caterpillar pests.","gardenRole":"Stings caterpillars to paralyze, then lays eggs on the host. Larvae feed externally. Effective on stored-product moth larvae and useful against field caterpillars.","identificationTips":"3-4mm, yellow-tan with darker wings. Parasitized caterpillars are paralyzed and shrunken with small papery cocoons attached.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"USDA-ARS; Kansas State University Extension"},{"slug":"diaeretus-rapae-tomato","commonName":"Tomato Aphid Parasitoid","scientificName":"Aphelinus mali","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["woolly-apple-aphid"],"attractedBy":["apple-honeycrisp","apple-standard"],"habitatNeeds":"Apple orchards with established woolly apple aphid populations.","gardenRole":"Specialist parasitoid of woolly apple aphid; introduced from North America to apple-growing regions worldwide for biocontrol. Critical in organic apple production.","identificationTips":"Tiny (1-2mm), dark with yellow legs. Parasitized aphids turn black and stay attached to bark; small round exit hole indicates wasp emergence.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"USDA-ARS apple IPM records; Cornell Tree Fruit IPM"},{"slug":"trichogramma-brassicae","commonName":"Trichogramma Brassicae","scientificName":"Trichogramma brassicae","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["european-corn-borer","cabbage-looper","diamondback-moth"],"attractedBy":["sweet-alyssum","buckwheat","dill"],"habitatNeeds":"Cool-temperate field crops, especially sweet corn and brassicas. Field-released in tab card formulations during moth flights.","gardenRole":"European corn borer egg specialist; widely used in commercial sweet corn IPM. Effective on early-season moth flights when paired with weekly releases.","identificationTips":"Microscopic (0.5mm); identified by blackened parasitized moth eggs on corn silks and leaves.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["midwest","eastern_north_america"],"source":"Cornell Cooperative Extension biocontrol fact sheets"},{"slug":"trichogramma-minutum","commonName":"Trichogramma Minutum","scientificName":"Trichogramma minutum","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["corn-earworm","tomato-fruitworm","european-corn-borer","cabbage-looper","diamondback-moth"],"attractedBy":["sweet-alyssum","dill","fennel-herb","yarrow"],"habitatNeeds":"Released as pinned cards or sachets onto host plants when adult moth flights begin. Persists best with continuous nectar bloom for adult wasps.","gardenRole":"Egg parasitoid: lays a single egg inside the host moth's egg, killing it before it hatches into a damaging caterpillar. Used commercially in corn, tomato, and grape crops worldwide.","identificationTips":"Microscopic (0.5mm), pale yellow-orange, wings fringed with long hairs. Parasitized moth eggs turn black instead of pale, a diagnostic sign on host plants.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"Cornell Cooperative Extension biocontrol fact sheets; UC IPM"},{"slug":"trichogramma-pretiosum","commonName":"Trichogramma Pretiosum","scientificName":"Trichogramma pretiosum","category":"parasitoid","preyOn":["corn-earworm","tomato-fruitworm","cabbage-looper","fall-armyworm"],"attractedBy":["sweet-alyssum","dill","fennel-herb"],"habitatNeeds":"Field corn, tomato, cotton, and cole crops. The most widely released Trichogramma species in North American IPM programs.","gardenRole":"Same biology as T. minutum but tuned to a different host range (Helicoverpa-Heliothis caterpillars). Released weekly during moth flight peaks for sustained suppression.","identificationTips":"Microscopic (0.5mm); presence inferred from blackened moth eggs on host plants.","seasonalPresence":{"active":["spring","summer","fall"],"dormant":["winter"]},"regions":["all"],"source":"USDA-ARS; UF/IFAS Featured Creatures"}]}