Biological Control of Insect Predators in Agroecosystems
Summary
Biological control harnesses natural enemies—predators, parasitoids and pathogens—to suppress pest populations and reduce reliance on chemical insecticides. In agroecosystems, insect predators such as ladybeetles, lacewings and ground beetles play a pivotal role in regulating aphids, mites and other crop pests. Conservation biological control enhances habitat quality through flower strips, cover crops and reduced tillage, providing nectar, pollen and refuges for beneficial insects. Augmentative approaches involve mass rearing and periodic release of predators, often using optimised artificial diets. Recent advances integrate molecular tools to unravel predator–prey dynamics, microbial symbioses influencing predator performance and landscape-scale design of cropping systems. The global significance of biological control is underscored by its contribution to sustainable intensification, yield stability and mitigation of pesticide resistance. Practical applications span orchards, cereals and vegetable systems, with concrete examples including intercropping patterns that boost natural enemy diversity and deployment of banker plants to sustain predator populations during low pest pressure.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Recent studies have elucidated molecular and ecological mechanisms that underpin predator efficacy. One investigation employed genome editing in a key parasitoid wasp to enhance chemosensory receptor function, resulting in improved host-finding and parasitism rates under semi-field conditions. A second study combined metagenomics and metabolomics to demonstrate that specific gut bacterial taxa in predatory beetles modulate digestive efficiency and thermal tolerance, suggesting microbial inoculation as a novel strategy to strengthen biocontrol agents. A third article reports landscape-scale field trials across diversified cropping systems, quantifying how strategically placed flower strips and intercropping schemes elevate predator functional diversity, suppress pest outbreaks and enable comparable yields with reduced pesticide inputs.
Biological Control of Insect Predators in Agroecosystems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in biological control of insect predators in agroecosystems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Biological control: The use of living organisms to suppress pest populations.
Parasitoid: An insect whose larvae develop within or on a single host insect, ultimately killing it.
Chemosensory receptors: Proteins that detect chemical cues in the environment, guiding predator host-location behaviour.
Metagenomics: The study of genetic material recovered directly from environmental samples, including gut microbiota.
Functional diversity: The range of different ecological functions performed by species within a community, such as pest suppression.
References
- Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson Flower as a Supplementary Food Promoting the Development and Reproduction of Ladybeetles Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Plants (2023).
- The Effect of Different Dietary Sugars on the Development and Fecundity of Harmonia axyridis. Frontiers in Physiology (2020).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.