Biological-control-candidate
Guides
Aculops
Aculops is a genus of eriophyid mites comprising parasitic plant-feeding species. Several members are significant agricultural pests, including Aculops lycopersici (tomato russet mite) and Aculops cannabicola (hemp russet mite). The genus also includes species under consideration for biological control, such as Aculops ailanthii for management of invasive tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima). Species diversity within Aculops remains incompletely documented, with new species continuing to be described.
Ategumia ebulealis
Clidemia Leafroller
Ategumia ebulealis, the Clidemia Leafroller, is a small crambid moth with a wingspan of approximately 18 mm. The species occurs in the southeastern United States, Central America, and the Caribbean. Adults are active during multiple periods throughout the year in Florida. The larvae feed on specific host plants including Clidemia species and Heterotrichum umbellatum.
Chrysomelobia labidomerae
Chrysomelobia labidomerae is a parasitic mite in the family Podapolipidae that infests chrysomelid beetles, particularly Labidomera clivicollis and Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Colorado potato beetle). Adult females lay eggs on the upper surfaces of host hind wings. The species exhibits arrhenotokous reproduction and overwinters on diapausing adult beetles. Despite high population levels, the mite has been observed to have minimal impact on host longevity or fecundity. The species has been studied for its potential as a biological control agent against the Colorado potato beetle.
Dendroctonus valens
Red Turpentine Beetle
Dendroctonus valens is a bark beetle native to North and Central America, ranging from Canada to Honduras. In its native range, it primarily colonizes stumps of freshly cut trees and stressed or damaged conifers, causing minimal economic damage. Following its accidental introduction to China in the mid-1990s, likely via wood packaging material, it has become a highly destructive invasive pest. In China, it attacks healthy as well as stressed pine trees, particularly Pinus tabuliformis, and has killed over six million trees. The species exhibits complex mating behavior involving acoustic signals and chemical pheromones, and maintains symbiotic relationships with fungi and bacteria that assist in nutrition and detoxification of host plant defenses.
Diclidophlebia
Diclidophlebia is a pantropical genus of psyllids (jumping plant-lice) established by Crawford in 1920. The genus contains approximately 25 described species distributed across the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Multiple species are documented crop and forestry pests, with known associations to hosts in Melastomataceae, Sterculiaceae, Irvingiaceae, and other plant families. Some species have been investigated as potential biological control agents for invasive plants.
Disonycha
Disonycha is a genus of flea beetles (Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini) containing approximately 170 species distributed in the Nearctic and Neotropical regions. Species in this genus are herbivorous, with many showing strong host plant specializations including passion vines (Passiflora), willows (Salix), and legumes. Some species exhibit eruptive population dynamics and at least two passion vine specialists have been documented practicing egg cannibalism (conspecific oophagy) by adults—a behavior first reported for the subfamily Galerucinae.
Exochomus metallicus
Exochomus metallicus is a small lady beetle in the family Coccinellidae. Adults measure 3–4.5 mm in length and display distinctive metallic green coloration with yellow markings on the pronotum. The species is native to Africa and has been introduced to North America, with established populations recorded in California. Specific details regarding its biology, ecology, and behavior remain poorly documented in published literature.
Himacerus
damsel bugs
Himacerus is a genus of predatory damsel bugs in the family Nabidae, subfamily Nabinae. The genus includes several Eurasian species, with Himacerus apterus being the most studied. These bugs are generalist predators that inhabit forest edges, meadows, and open woodlands. Some species have been introduced to North America, notably H. apterus in eastern Canada.
Himacerus apterus
tree damsel bug
Himacerus apterus, commonly known as the tree damsel bug, is a predatory hemipteran in the family Nabidae. It is native to Eurasia and was first recorded in North America from eastern Nova Scotia between 1943 and 1989. The species exhibits wing polymorphism, with most individuals being brachypterous (short-winged). It is a generalist predator of small arthropods and has been considered for biological control applications, though cannibalism complicates mass rearing efforts.
Lecanodiaspididae
false pit scales, lecanodiaspidids
Lecanodiaspididae is a family of scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) commonly known as false pit scales. Members are found worldwide but are most diverse in the Far East. The family comprises approximately 12 described genera including Lecanodiaspis, Anomalococcus, and Pterococcus. These insects are phloem-feeders that develop waxy, protective coverings over their bodies.
Megabruchidius
Megabruchidius is a genus of seed beetles in the subfamily Bruchinae (Chrysomelidae), established by Borowiec in 1984. The genus comprises Asian species that have become invasive in Europe, North America, South America, and South Africa. At least two species are well-documented: M. dorsalis and M. tonkineus, both specialized feeders on seeds of Gleditsia (honey locusts) and related Caesalpinioideae legumes. These beetles complete their entire larval development inside seeds, emerging as adults through exit holes. The genus has attracted significant research attention due to its economic impact as a pest of ornamental and forestry trees, its expanding host range in introduced regions, and its potential use as a biological control agent for invasive honey locust.
Megacerus discoidus (Say, 1824)
red megacerus
Megacerus discoidus is a seed-feeding bruchine beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is a specialist predator of hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium) seeds, with larvae completing their entire development within individual seeds. The species has been studied for its potential use in biological control of this weedy vine. It occurs in North America and Central America.
Nylanderia fulva
Tawny Crazy Ant, Rasberry Crazy Ant, Caribbean Crazy Ant, Brown Crazy Ant, Invasive Crazy Ant, Hairy Crazy Ant
Nylanderia fulva, commonly known as the tawny crazy ant, is an invasive ant species native to South America that has become a significant pest in the southern United States. The species is characterized by its erratic, rapid movement patterns and ability to form enormous supercolonies with millions of workers. It was first reported in the continental United States in 1938 but only recognized as a serious pest in the 1990s in Florida and 2000s in Texas. The ant exhibits a unicolonial social structure in its invasive range, with interconnected nests showing no intraspecific aggression.
Orchestes steppensis
European Elm Flea Weevil, Elm Flea Weevil
Orchestes steppensis is a small flea-weevil (2.6–3.2 mm) native to the Eastern Palaearctic Steppe region and now invasive in North America. It is a serious pest of elm trees (Ulmus spp.), with adults feeding on leaves and larvae mining leaf tissue. The species was previously misidentified as O. alni or O. mutabilis in China. It completes one generation per year in Xinjiang, China, with overwintering adults emerging in late March to early April. The species exhibits strong olfactory-mediated host location, with documented preferences for specific plant volatiles.
Palpita flegia
satin white moth, Satin White Palpita
Palpita flegia is a crambid moth commonly known as the satin white moth. It was described by Cramer in 1777 and has a broad distribution across the Neotropics and into the southern United States. The species is a documented pest of ornamental plants in the family Apocynaceae, particularly Cascabela thevetia. Laboratory studies have established detailed life cycle parameters including six larval instars and specific thermal requirements for development.
Schizomyia
Schizomyia is a genus of gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) with cosmopolitan distribution. Species in this genus induce various types of galls on diverse host plants, including rosette bud galls, inflorescence galls, and stem galls. The genus belongs to the tribe Asphondyliini and contains at least 51 described species. Some species have significant ecological and economic impacts, including outbreaks that reduce seed production in forest trees and potential use as biological control agents.