Natural-enemy
Guides
Coccinella californica
California Lady Beetle
Coccinella californica is a ladybird beetle endemic to coastal California. Adults measure 5.10–6.80 mm and are distinguished by predominantly red, usually spotless elytra and a mostly black thorax. The species plays a documented role in biological pest control in vineyard ecosystems.
Collops hirtellus
Hairy Soft-winged Flower Beetle
Collops hirtellus is a species of soft-winged flower beetle in the family Melyridae, first described by LeConte in 1876. It is one of several Collops species recognized as beneficial predators in agricultural systems, particularly in cotton production. The species has been documented in western Canada and is part of a genus known for predatory feeding habits on pest insects.
Collops necopinus
Collops necopinus is a soft-winged flower beetle in the family Melyridae. Like other members of the genus Collops, it is a predatory beetle that feeds on small arthropods. The species has been documented in the southwestern United States, including New Mexico, and is associated with flowering plants where it hunts prey. Collops beetles are recognized as beneficial natural enemies in agricultural systems, particularly in cotton production.
Collops nigriceps
Eastern Coastal Collops
Collops nigriceps is a soft-winged flower beetle (family Melyridae) with a documented preference for flowers of Gutierrezia sarothrae (broom snakeweed) in the southwestern United States. The species has been collected in northeastern New Mexico and has been observed in association with other flower-visiting beetles including cerambycids and cantharids. As a member of the genus Collops, it likely functions as a generalist predator in flower-based arthropod communities.
Collops vicarius
Collops vicarius is a species of soft-winged flower beetle in the family Melyridae. The genus Collops comprises predatory beetles commonly found on flowers, where they feed on other insects. C. vicarius is part of a group of beneficial predatory insects utilized in biological control programs in agricultural systems, particularly in cotton production. Species in this genus are recognized as important natural enemies of pest insects.
Geocoris barberi
bigeyed bug
Geocoris barberi is a species of bigeyed bug in the family Geocoridae, described by Readio & Sweet in 1982. Species in the genus Geocoris are recognized as important natural enemies of agricultural insect pests. They serve as biological control agents in integrated pest management programs, particularly in crop systems such as cucumber fields where they help suppress pest populations.
Geocoris davisi
big-eyed bug
Geocoris davisi is a species of big-eyed bug in the family Geocoridae, described by Barber in 1935. It belongs to a genus of predatory true bugs widely recognized as important natural enemies of agricultural pests. Species in the genus Geocoris are commonly used in habitat management strategies for integrated pest management, though specific biological details for G. davisi remain limited in the available literature.
Geocoris undescribed
bigeyed bug
An undescribed species within the genus Geocoris, commonly known as bigeyed bugs. Members of this genus are recognized as important natural enemies of agricultural insect pests. This particular species is referenced in studies examining habitat management for integrated pest management, specifically in the context of red clover plantings in cucumber fields where it contributes to biological control of crop pests.
Hippodamia
Oblong Lady Beetles, Lady Beetles, Ladybugs
Hippodamia is a genus of lady beetles (Coccinellidae) containing several economically important species. The most common native North American species is H. convergens, which forms overwintering aggregations numbering in the millions and is widely used in biological control. Another notable species, H. variegata, has a cosmopolitan distribution across both hemispheres. Members of this genus are primarily aphidophagous predators valued in agriculture for pest management.
Microweisea
Minute Lady Beetles
Microweisea is a genus of minute lady beetles (family Coccinellidae) established by Cockerell in 1903. These tiny beetles are among the smallest members of the lady beetle family. The genus currently includes approximately twelve described species distributed primarily in the Americas. Microweisea species have been documented as predators of scale insects in urban environments, where they contribute to biological control of these pests.
Perillus lunatus
Perillus lunatus is a species of predatory stink bug in the family Pentatomidae, described by Knight in 1952. Like other members of the genus Perillus, it belongs to the subfamily Asopinae, which contains predatory rather than phytophagous stink bugs. The genus Perillus is best known for P. bioculatus, the two-spotted stink bug, a significant biological control agent of the Colorado potato beetle. Perillus lunatus shares the predatory habits characteristic of this genus, though specific details of its biology are less documented than those of its congener P. bioculatus.
Pselliopus
orange assassin bug
Pselliopus sp-near-barberi is an assassin bug in the family Reduviidae, closely related to or conspecific with Pselliopus barberi. It is a predatory true bug characterized by orange and black coloration, serving as aposematic warning coloration. This species is an active predator of small insects including leafhoppers and aphids, and has been documented as a natural enemy of crapemyrtle aphids in urban landscapes.
Pselliopus punctipes
ringed assassin bug
Pselliopus punctipes is a predatory assassin bug in the family Reduviidae, commonly known as the ringed assassin bug. It is characterized by its long legs, elongated beak, and distinctive ringed coloration pattern on its body. The species is an ambush predator that hunts small insects by stalking and stabbing them with its venom-injecting proboscis. It belongs to a genus of assassin bugs known for their stealthy hunting behavior and importance in natural pest control.
Torymus tubicola
Torymus tubicola is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Torymidae. The species is known to parasitize gall-forming insects, including psyllid nymphs within plant galls. It has been recorded from multiple provinces across Canada.
Wulfila
ghost spiders
Wulfila is a genus of ghost spiders (family Anyphaenidae) comprising at least 40 described species. These spiders are active hunters that do not construct webs for prey capture. They are commonly found in urban environments, where research has documented their association with scale-infested trees and shrubs. As members of the hunting spider guild, they contribute to biological control of pest insects in managed landscapes.
Zetzellia mali
apple mite, Zetzellia mite
Zetzellia mali is a predatory mite in the family Stigmaeidae, widely distributed across apple-growing regions of the world. This small arachnid serves as an important natural enemy of phytophagous mites in orchards, particularly targeting spider mites (Tetranychidae) and eriophyid mites. The species exhibits a three-generation annual life cycle in temperate climates, with adult females overwintering in protected locations on host trees. While less efficient at population regulation than some competing predatory mites such as phytoseiids, Z. mali contributes significantly to biological control in integrated pest management programs.