Beneficial Insects

J. H. Frank, R. F. Mizell, III

Jian Li and Dakshina R. Seal

Gregory Parrow and Adam Dale

Pheropsophus aequinoctialis (L.) is a carabid beetle in the tribe Brachinini that is native to parts of South and Central America. Ground beetles of this tribe are commonly referred to as bombardier beetles due to their ability to produce a powerful and hot defensive chemical spray directed at would-be predators.

Donald Spence and Amanda Hodges

Jian Li, Dakshina Seal, and Gary Leibee

Daniel Carrillo, Jorge Peña, and Rita Duncan

This document provides an overview of the major pests affecting guava crops in Florida, including guava whitefly, red-banded thrips, guava fruit moth, Caribbean fruit fly, mealybugs, and various scales. It details their life cycles, damage symptoms, and control measures, emphasizing the limited availability of registered insecticides for guava. The document also highlights the importance of selecting appropriate pesticides and adhering to label instructions to ensure effective pest management and compliance with regulations. Date first printed: October 1993.

Dale H. Habeck, James P. Cuda, Emma N. I. Weeks, yEmma N. I. Weeks
Otros contactos: Carey R. Minteer

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids, and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Ryan S. Osborne, Norman C. Leppla, and Lance S. Osborne

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids, and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Karol L. Krey and Justin M. Renkema

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Kelly Laplante, Wayne Hobbs, and Adam Dale

David J. Schuster yHugh A. Smith

Janine Razze and Oscar E. Liburd

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Bethany McGregor, Nathan Burkett-Cadena, and Andrea Lucky

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

J Howard Frank yAndrei Sourakov

This document provides an overview of the wasp parasitoid Utetes anastrephae (Viereck), detailing its taxonomy, distribution, physical characteristics, life cycle, behavior, and economic importance. Utetes anastrephae is notable for parasitizing several species of Anastrepha fruit flies, including major pests. The species exhibits a wide distribution from Florida to Argentina and plays a significant role in biological control by inflicting high levels of parasitism on fruit fly pests. The document also highlights the parasitoid's unique morphological traits and its ecological niche in native fruit trees. Original publication date July 2012.

Daniel Carrillo, Rita Duncan, and Jorge Peña

This document provides an overview of the major pests affecting mango crops in Florida, including thrips, mirids, mealybugs, scales, mites, whiteflies, blackflies, beetles, and red-banded thrips. It details their life cycles, damage symptoms, and control measures, emphasizing the importance of monitoring and selecting appropriate pesticides. The document also highlights the role of natural enemies and the need for adherence to pesticide regulations to ensure effective pest management and compliance with safety guidelines. Date first printed: October 1993. 

Daniel Carrillo, Rita Duncan, and Jorge E. Peña

Ann Marie Carias and Andrea Lucky

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids, and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Lionel A. Stange

A UF/IFAS numbered Organism ID. in support of UF/IFAS Extension program: Integrated Pest Management. This document provides an in-depth profile of the cockroach egg parasitoid, Evania appendigaster (Linnaeus), detailing its identification, distribution, biology, and potential for biological control. Originating from the Orient, this wasp is now widespread in tropical and subtropical regions. It parasitizes cockroach egg cases, with the female inserting her ovipositor into the egg case to lay a single egg. The developing larva consumes all the cockroach eggs within the case. The document also discusses the wasp's competitors and its potential effectiveness in controlling cockroach populations.

Andrei Sourakov and Everett Mitchell

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Andrei Sourakov and Everett Mitchell

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

J. P. Cuda, D. H. Habeck, W. A. Overholt, J. C. Medal, J. H. Pedrosa-Macedo, M. D. Vitorino, and C. R. Minteer

This document discusses the classical biological control of the invasive Brazilian peppertree (Schinus terebinthifolia) in Florida. It highlights the tree’s aggressive spread, ecological impact, and the limitations of conventional control methods. The article details the introduction and effectiveness of various biological control agents, including thrips, sawflies, leaf rollers, weevils, and psyllids, in managing the Brazilian peppertree. The goal is to reduce the tree’s dominance and restore native biodiversity in affected ecosystems. First published 1999. 

Julie Baniszewski, Emma N.I. Weeks, James P. Cuda, and Carey Minteer

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids, and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Ellis G. MacLeod, Lionel Stange, yLionel A. Stange
Otros contactos: Elena M. Rhodes

A UF/IFAS numbered Organism ID. in support of UF/IFAS Extension program: Integrated Pest Management. This document provides an in-depth profile of brown lacewings (Neuroptera: Hemerobiidae) in Florida, detailing their distribution, biology, identification, and role as biological control agents. Brown lacewings are predaceous insects that primarily feed on aphids and other soft-bodied pests. The article includes identification keys for adults and larvae, discusses their life cycle, and highlights their effectiveness in pest management. It also covers the various species found in Florida and their specific habitats, contributing valuable information for both academic and practical applications in entomology. Published: August 2001.

Ted D. Center, James P. Cuda, Michael J. Grodowitz, and Carey R. Minteer

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids, and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Marirose P. Kuhlman and Adam G. Dale

This publication describes the identification, biology, and importance of the American sand wasps (Bembix americana Fabricius), which are a subspecies-complex of large, robust wasps in the subfamily Bembicinae. They nest gregariously in bare soil and provision their nests with flies (order Diptera). The females are progressive provisioners, meaning they continue to provide their developing larvae with prey until the larvae pupate. Males participate in a distinctive mating behavior called a “sun dance” in which groups of males fly low over nesting areas waiting for females to emerge so they can be the first to mate with them. Adults feed on flower nectar and can often be found visiting a variety of wildflowers. This species has a broad ecological range and can be found nesting in a variety of soil types and habitats.

Robert B. Miller, Lionel Stange, yLionel A. Stange
Otros contactos: Elena M. Rhodes

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Bonnie C. Wells and Carey Minteer

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Salman Al-Shami and Jawwad A. Qureshi

This publication describes the biology, distribution, behavior, and impact of the parasitoid Leptomastix dactylopii Howard. This beneficial insect is known for providing significant reductions in mealybug populations in Florida and other locations. It is also intended to provide knowledge about this parasitoid to a wide range of interested audiences including growers, Extension agents, researchers, students, laypersons, and other stakeholders.

Allan Busuulwa, Lovely Adhikary, ySriyanka Lahiri

The invasive Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood;(Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is currently the most significant pest of strawberries in Florida. Managing this pest is challenging due to its low susceptibility to many commonly used insecticides. As an additional management strategy, we propose using flowering plants (banker plants) to attract naturally occurring predators of thrips, which can help suppress S. dorsalis populations in field strawberries.

F. W. Mead yFrank W. Mead
Otros contactos: Elena M. Rhodes

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

C. R. Thompson

A UF/IFAS numbered Organism ID. in support of UF/IFAS Extension program: Integrated Pest Management

Xavier Martini yHugh A. Smith

This publication aims to help readers identify the most common beneficial insects and invertebrates found in Florida gardens and promote their populations to minimize the use of insecticides. Written by Xavier Martini and Hugh A. Smith, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Entomology and Nematology, revised June 2025.

Muhammad Z. Ahmed, Eric Rohrig, Eric Rohrig, Yisell Velazquez-Hernandez, Lance S. Osborne, yCatharine M. Mannion
Otros contactos: Elena M. Rhodes

A UF/IFAS numbered Organism ID. in support of UF/IFAS Extension program: Integrated Pest Management

F. W. Mead

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Victoria Oluwaseun Adeleye and Dakshina R. Seal

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

John L. Capinera

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

J. P. Cuda, D. H. Habeck, and G. S. Wheeler

A UF/IFAS numbered Organism ID for Academic and General Public audience(s). Published by Integrated Pest Management

Nicholas S. G. Tucker yPhillip E. Kaufman
Otros contactos: Elena M. Rhodes

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Paul M. Choate
Otros contactos: Elena M. Rhodes

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Runqian Mao, Yingfang Xiao, and Steven P. Arthurs

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Luis F. Aristizábal and Steven P. Arthurs

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Patricia Prade, Carey R. Minteer, and James P. Cuda

A UF/IFAS numbered Organism ID. Published by Integrated Pest Management

Andrei Sourakov and Everett Mitchell

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Matthew R. Moore and Phillip E. Kaufman

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Charles Stuhl and John Sivinski

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Danielle S. Williams, Joseph E. Funderburk, yXavier Martini

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids, and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

James P. Cuda, Patricia Prade, and Carey R. Minteer

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids, and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Ted D. Center, James P. Cuda, and Michael J. Grodowitz

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

F. W. Mead and J. L. Herring

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.