Insect Pests of Fruit, Plantation, Medicinal & Aromatic Crops (2+1)

Ideal qualities of a parasitoid

• High host searching capacity – This is one of the primary requisite particularly in a situation of low host density.
  
• Having a narrowly limited host range – so that when the pest population is reduced low densities, the parasite is able to maintain itself on alternate hosts. Alternate hosts may accommodate the parasite population during seasons when pest may accommodate the parasite population during seasons when pest is not available or when the pest is controlled by chemical insecticides. However, the available host range should not be so large that the parasite population host range should not be so large that the parasite population dissipates itself upon economically harmless species.
  
• Having a life cycle considerably shorter than that of the pest when the pest population consists of overlapping generations and having a life cycle synchronized with that of the pest when the pest population is composed of a single development stage at any time.
  
• Potential rate of increase (high fecundity) to keep the pest population under check.
  
• Able to survive in all habitats occupied by the pest i.e. the natural enemy should have adaptability to a board range of climatic variations.
  
• Able to be cultured easily in the laboratory
  
• Able to quickly reduce the pest population
  
• Absence of superparasitism and multiparasitism.