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Natural Enemies: Identification
Natural Enemies Listed by Order and Family
Natural enemies are organisms that kill, decrease the reproductive potential of, or otherwise reduce the numbers of another organism. Natural enemies that limit pests are key components of integrated pest management programs. Important natural enemies of insect and mite pests include predators, parasites, and pathogens.
The UC IPM Natural Enemies Gallery includes natural enemy species commonly found on California farms and in landscapes. Additional species will be added over time.
For more information about natural enemies, purchase the Natural Enemies Handbook.
Parasites | List by common name | List by order and family name | List by scientific name | List by pest
Predators
A predator is an organism that attacks, kills, and feeds on several to many other individuals (its prey) in its lifetime.
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| Insects |
| Order Coleoptera: Beetles |
| Family Cantharida |
Soldier beetles, leather-winged beetles |
| Family Carabidae |
Predaceous ground beetles |
| Family Coccinellidae |
Convergent lady beetle, Hippodamia convergens |
| Mealybug destroyer, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri |
| Multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis |
| Sevenspotted lady beetle, Coccinella septempunctata |
| Spider mite destroyer lady beetle, Stethorus picipes |
| Twicestabbed lady beetle, Chilocorus orbus |
| Vedalia beetle, Rodolia cardinalis |
| Order Diptera: Flies |
| Family Cecidomyiidae |
Predaceous midge (aphid midge), Aphidoletes aphidimyza |
| Family Cryptochaetidae |
Cottony cushion scale parasite,
Cryptochaetum iceryae |
| Family Syrphidae |
Syrphid flies |
| Order Hemiptera: True bugs |
| Family Anthocoridae |
Minute pirate bugs, Orius spp. and Anthocoris spp. |
| Family Lygaeidae |
Bigeyed bugs, Geocoris spp. |
| Family Nabidae |
Damsel bugs, Nabis spp. |
| Family Reduviidae |
Assassin bugs, Sinea diadema and Zelus renardii |
| Order Mantodea: Mantids |
| Family Mantidae |
Mantids, praying mantids |
| Order Neuroptera: Lacewings |
| Family Coniopterygidae |
Dustywings, Conwentzia barretti and others |
| Family Hemerobiidae |
Brown lacewings, Hemerobius spp. |
| Family Chrysopidae |
Green lacewings, Chrysopa spp. and Chrysoperla spp. |
| Order Thysanoptera: Thrips |
| Family Thripidae |
Sixspotted thrips, Scolothrips sexmaculatus |
| Spiders and Mites |
| Order Acari: Mites |
| Family Phytoseiidae |
Euseius tularensis |
| Phytoseiulus persimilis |
| Western predatory
mite, Galendromus
occidentalis |
| Order Araneae: Spiders |
| |
Spiders |
| Mollusks |
| Class Gastropoda |
| Family Stylommatophora |
Decollate snail, Rumina decollata |
Insect Parasites (parasitoids)
Larval stages of insect parasites parasitize other insects, killing their hosts just as they mature. Adults are free-living wasps or flies. |
| Order Diptera: Flies |
| Family Tachinidae |
Tachinid flies |
|
Elm leaf beetle parasite, Erynniopsis antennata |
| Order Hymenoptera: Wasps |
| Family Aphelinidae |
Aphytis spp., armored scale parasites |
| Encarsia formosa, whitefly parasite |
| Family Aphidiidae |
Aphidius spp. |
| Lysiphlebus testaceipes, aphid parasite |
| Trioxys pallidus, walnut aphid parasite |
| Family Braconidae |
Cotesia medicaginis, alfalfa butterfly parasite |
| Bracon cushmani, grape leaffolder parasite |
| Family Encyrtidae |
Citrus mealybug parasite, Leptomastix dactylopii |
| Family Ichneumonidae |
Hyposoter exiguae, caterpillar parasite |
| Family Mymaridae |
Anaphes spp. |
| Family Trichogrammatidae |
Trichogramma spp., egg parasites |
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