The document discusses important groups of predatory insects and their identification characteristics. It outlines that predators kill their prey, are usually larger than their prey, and require multiple prey to complete their development. It then describes characteristics of predators and lists important predatory orders including Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, and Neuroptera. For each order, it provides examples of common predatory families and species, describing their appearance and prey.
The document discusses important groups of predatory insects and their identification characteristics. It outlines that predators kill their prey, are usually larger than their prey, and require multiple prey to complete their development. It then describes characteristics of predators and lists important predatory orders including Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, and Neuroptera. For each order, it provides examples of common predatory families and species, describing their appearance and prey.
Original Description:
Important groups of predators and their identification.
The document discusses important groups of predatory insects and their identification characteristics. It outlines that predators kill their prey, are usually larger than their prey, and require multiple prey to complete their development. It then describes characteristics of predators and lists important predatory orders including Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, and Neuroptera. For each order, it provides examples of common predatory families and species, describing their appearance and prey.
The document discusses important groups of predatory insects and their identification characteristics. It outlines that predators kill their prey, are usually larger than their prey, and require multiple prey to complete their development. It then describes characteristics of predators and lists important predatory orders including Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, and Neuroptera. For each order, it provides examples of common predatory families and species, describing their appearance and prey.
“A free- living organism throughout its life, it kills
its prey, is usually larger than its prey and requires more than one prey to complete its development”
2 Characteristics of a predator
• Long life cycle
• Requires several prey to complete its development • Larger than its prey • Kills their prey immediately • Usually both immature and adult stages are predatory, except some cases (Eg- Blister beetle larvae feeds on eggs of grasshopper whereas the adult feeds on flower) • Very active • Stronger and larger • More intelligent than prey • Locomotory organs and mouth parts well developed 3 Agriculturally important predatory insect orders
• Coleoptera
• Hemiptera
• Diptera
• Lepidoptera
• Hymenoptera and
• Neuroptera
4 1. Coleoptera
Carabidae- Ground beetle
Nocturnal predator, adults are black or
brown in colour some are metallic blue or green in colour. The legs are slender and adopted well for running and digging.
Ophionea nigrofaciata predatory on
rice leaf folder and Coconut black headed caterpillar. 5 Cicindellidae- Tiger beetle
Fast runners by their long legs to catch
their prey or escape from disturbance. They are often metallic colour, have protruding mandibles, bulging eyes. Head is wider than prothorax
Megacephala virginica or M. fulgida
on mole cricket. Also predatory on soil dwelling insects.
6 Coccinellidae- Lady bird beetle
• Head concealed in pronotum, antenna 6-11 segmented
• Tarsi 4 segmented and the 3rd segment concealed in deeply bilobed 2nd segment • Larva resembles lacewings but lack of mandibles • Both adults and grubs are predatory on many soft bodied insects like aphids and mealy bugs
7 Examples of predatory Coccinellids
• Cryptolaemus montrouzeri- Mealy bugs
• Coccinnella septempunctata- Predatory on Aphis craccivora and
Lipaphis erysmi
• Rodalia cordinalis- Icerya purchasi
• Scymnus sp- Aphids, Coccids and other soft bodied insects
• Brumoides sutaralis- Aphids, Coccids and other soft bodied insects
• Curinus coerulens- Subabul psyllid
• Chilocorus nigratus- Sugarcane scales
8 Staphylinidae – Rove beetle
• Small to medium sized insect
• Short elytra considerable portion of the abdomen is exposed • The mandibles are well developed and cross infront of the head • It often bends the tip of the abdomen • Most of the staphylinids are saprophagous • Only in some cases it acts as predator
9 Clear view of a Rove beetle
10 Other families of coleopteran preadtors
Histeridae- Hister beetle or
clown beetles
Nitidulidae- Sap beetles
11 2. Hemiptera
• Reduviidae- Assasian bug
• Miridae- Mirid bug
• Veliidae- Riffle bug
• Pentatomidae- Stink bug
• Anthocoridae- Pirate bug
12 Reduviidae- Assasian bug
• Mostly brownish or black coloured insects and
some are brightly coloured • Elongated head and beak carried beneath their body • Spines on their legs • Wings do not completely cover the abdomen • Nymphs resembles adult but they lack wings • Eg- Platymeris laevicollis on Coconut rhinoceros beetle
13 Miridae- Mirid bug
• These are delicate small to medium sized elongated
insect • Head and pronotum is black • Presence of cuneus • Ocelli absent • Tarsi 3 segmented • Eg- Cyrtorhinus lividipennis on rice hoppers
14 Veliidae- Riffle bug
• Microvelia atrolineata predatory on Rice leaf and
plant hopper
15 Pentatomidae- Shield bug
• Brightly colored, medium size and shield shape like
insects • 4 or 5 segmented antenna • Scutellum triangular • May discharge distasteful smell when handled, produce disagreeable odour • Eg- Eocanthecona furcetella predatory on red hairy caterpillar
16 Closer view of Eocanthecona furcetella
17 Anthocoridae- Pirate bug
• Adults are 3mm long
• Oval shaped with black and white wing patches • Nymphs are yellow orange to brown in colour • Both nymphs and adults feed on spiders, mites, thrips, scales, aphids and small caterpillars • Eg- Orius indicus predatory on thrips and some Coleopteran eggs
18 Nymphs of Pirate bugs feeding on Aphids
19 3. Diptera
Important major families of
some Dipteran preadators Syrphidae- Hover fly
Asilidae- Robber fly
Dolichopodidae- Long legged fly
20 Syrphidae- Hover fly
• Presence of spurious vein
• Small to medium sized insect • Yellow or black striped bodies resembles wasp and it also looks like honey bee • Larval stage predatory on aphids and scales • Adults feed on pollen and nectar • Larvae are pale green to yellow colour
21 Eg- Dideopsis segrota predaceous on aphids (A. gossypii and A. craccivora) 22 Asilidae- Robber fly
• Medium to large sized and hairy insect
• Fast flying insect
• Hollowed area between their eyes and beard
• Elongated humped body with a slender tapering abdomen
• Adults are aggressive predators, attack prey often larger than
themselves
• Larval stage is also predaceous in robber flies
• Predatory on butter flies, wasps, dragon flies, bees and beetles
23 24 Dolichopodidae- Long legged flies
• Presence of long legs
• Standing high on their legs on the ground or on vegetation • The adults are predators of small invertebrates including Collembola and aphids • Species of the genus Dolichopus commonly prey on the larvae of mosquitoes
25 Other minor groups of Dipteran predators
Drosophilidae- Fruit fly Cryptochaetidae
• The maggots of the fly is • The maggots prey upon predaceous on castor and coccids pomegranate Aleyrodids
26 4. Lepidoptera
Lycaenidae
Noctuidae
Pyralidae
27 Lycaenidae
• Commonly called as Blues- Apefly
• Predatory on soft bodied insects like mealy bug • Larva green, short, stout and fleshy • Pupa resembles like monkey face • Eg- Spalgis epius predatory on Planococcus citri
28 Monkey face like pupa of Spalgis epius
29 Noctuidae
• Larvae are bright pink to reddish colour
• Larval body always covered with light silken web forms like structure • Eg- Eublemma scitula – Scales Eublemma amabilis – Lac insect
30 Larva of Eublemma covered with light silken web forms like structure
31 Pyralidae
• Larval stage is predaceous
• Dipha aphidivora predatory on Sugarcane wooly aphid (Ceratanavacuna lanigera)
32 5. Hymenoptera
• Vespidae- Paper wasp
• Bodies are black, yellow or whitish marking • Generally adults are the predators of Lepidopteran caterpillars • Adults kill their prey by stinking • Eg- Vespa cincta – Predator of Lepidopteran larva and spiders
33 6. Neuroptera
• Chrysopidae- Lacewing fly
• Adults are green in colour, long and slender • Large,clear membranous forked wings • Pedicellate or stalked eggs • Pupation takes place in a silken on underside of the leaf • Grubs are predatory on soft bodied insects like aphids (Aphidlion) • Adults feed on honey dew and pollen • Eg- Chrysoperla carnea
34 35 Myrmeliontidae- Antlion
• Myrmeliontid adults have long, narrow, spotted
wings and resembles damselflies • Their antenna is short, thickened and knobbed • Antlion grubs have large sickle like mandibles, live burried at the bottom of funnel shaped or conical pits in sand and predate upon ants that are crawling and falling in • Eg- Myemelion sp. Predatory on ants and soil dwelling insects
36 37 General insect predators
• Dragonflies and Damselflies
• Naiads and adults are predators on small insects and butterflies
38 Preying mantids
• Predators of grasshoppers, caterpillars and butterflies
