Natural enemies gallery

LISTED BY COMMON NAME

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, parasitoids (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.

Predators | Parasitoids | Weed herbivores | 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) during its lifetime.

Common name	Scientific name
Aphid flies	Chamaemyiidae family
Aphid midge	Aphidoletes aphidimyza
Ashy gray lady beetle (ladybug)	Olla v-nigrum =O. abdominalis
Assassin bugs	Reduviidae family
Bigeyed bugs	Geocoridae family
Brown lacewings	Hemerobiidae family
Convergent lady beetle (ladybug)	Hippodamia convergens
Damsel bugs	Nabis spp.
Decollate snail	Rumina decollata
Dustywings	Coniopterygidae family
Euseius predatory mites	Euseius spp.
Fungus-feeding lady beetles (ladybugs)	Psyllobora vigintimaculata and other Psyllobora spp.
Green lacewings	Chrysopidae family
Lady beetle (ladybug)	Axion plagiatum
Lady beetle (ladybug)	Chilocorus bipustulatus
Lady beetle (ladybug)	Chilocorus kuwanae
Lady beetle (ladybug)	Clitostethus arcuatus
Lady beetles (ladybugs)	Delphastus catalinae and other Delphastus spp.
Lady beetles (ladybugs)	Rhyzobius (=Rhizobius) forestieri and R. lophanthae
Mantids	Mantidae family
Mealybug destroyer	Cryptolaemus montrouzieri
Minute pirate bugs	Anthocoridae family
Mite midges	Feltiella spp.
Multicolored Asian lady beetle (ladybug)	Harmonia axyridis
Phytoseiulus predatory mites	Phytoseiulus spp.
Pink spotted lady beetle (ladybug)	Coleomegilla maculata
Polished lady beetle (ladybug)	Cycloneda munda
Praying mantises	Mantidae family
Predaceous ground beetles	Carabidae family
Predatory thrips	Aeolothrips spp.
Predatory thrips	Franklinothrips orizabensis and F. vespiformis
Rough stink bugs	Brochymena sulcata and other Brochymena spp.
Sevenspotted lady beetle (ladybug)	Coccinella septempunctata
Sixspotted thrips	Scolothrips sexmaculatus
Soldier beetles	Cantharidae family
Spider mite destroyer lady beetle (ladybug)	Stethorus picipes
Spider mite rove beetle	Oligota oviformis
Spiders	Araneae order
Spined soldier bug	Podisus maculiventris
Spotless lady beetle (ladybug)	Cycloneda sanguinea
Steelblue lady beetle (ladybug)	Halmus chalybeus
Syrphid flies	Syrphidae family
Twicestabbed lady beetle (ladybug)	Chilocorus orbus
Twospotted lady beetle (ladybug)	Adalia bipunctata
Twospotted stink bug	Perillus bioculatus
Vedalia beetle	Novius (=Rodolia) cardinalis
Western blood-red lady beetle (ladybug)	Cycloneda polita
Western predatory mite	Galendromus occidentalis
Whirligig mites, predatory mites	Anystis agilis and A. baccarum

Insect parasitoids (parasites)

Larval stages of insect parasitoids feed on or inside of other insects, killing their hosts. Adults are free-living wasps or flies.

Common name	Scientific name
Alfalfa caterpillar Cotesia parasitoid	Cotesia (=Apanteles) medicaginis
Anaphes egg parasitoids	Anaphes iole, Anaphes nitens, and other Anaphes spp.
Aphid Aphidius parasitoids	Aphidius colemani, A. ervi, A. matricariae, and other Aphidius spp.
Aphid Diaeretiella parasitoid	Diaeretiella rapae
Aphid Lysiphlebus parasitoid	Lysiphlebus testaceipes
Armored scale Encarsia parasitoid	Encarsia perniciosi
Ash whitefly Encarsia parasitoid	Encarsia inaron =E. partenopea
Asian citrus psyllid Tamarixia parasitoid	Tamarixia radiata
Bluegum psyllid Psyllaephagus parasitoid	Psyllaephagus pilosus
California red scale Aphytis parasitoid	Aphytis melinus
California red scale Comperiella parasitoid	Comperiella bifasciata
Caterpillar Copidosoma parasitoids	Copidosoma (=Copidosomopsis =Pentalitomastix) plethoricum =C. plethorica, C. truncatellum, and other Copidosoma spp.
Caterpillar Goniozus parasitoids	Goniozus legneri and other Goniozus spp.
Caterpillar Hyposoter parasitoid	Hyposoter exiguae
Cottony cushion scale Cryptochaetum parasitoid	Cryptochaetum iceryae
Elm leaf beetle Erynniopsis parasitoid	Erynniopsis antennata
Elm leaf beetle Oomyzus parasitoid	Oomyzus (=Tetrastichus) gallerucae
Giant whitefly parasitoids	Encarsia (=Encarsiella) noyesi, Entedononecremnus krauteri, and Idioporus affinis
Glassy-winged sharpshooter Cosmocomoidea parasitoids	Cosmocomoidea (=Gonatocerus) ashmeadi and other Cosmocomoidea spp.
Goldspotted oak borer Calosota parasitoid	Calosota elongata
Grape leaffolder Habrobracon parasitoid	Habrobracon (=Bracon) cushmani
Greenhouse thrips Thripoctenus parasitoid	Thripoctenus javae =Thripobius semiluteus
Leafhopper Anagrus parasitoids	Anagrus daanei, A. epos, A. erythroneurae, and other Anagrus spp.
Leafminer Diglyphus parasitoids	Diglyphus begini, D. isaea, and other Diglyphus spp.
Mealybug Acerophagus parasitoids	Acerophagus (=Pseudaphycus) notativentris, A. maculipennis, and other Acerophagus spp.
Mealybug Anagyrus parasitoids	Anagyrus fusciventris, A. kamali, A. pseudococci, and other Anagyrus spp.
Mealybug Leptomastix parasitoid	Leptomastix dactylopii
Purple scale Aphytis parasitoid	Aphytis lepidosaphes
Redgum lerp psyllid Psyllaephagus parasitoid	Psyllaephagus bliteus
San Jose scale Aphytis parasitoid	Aphytis aonidiae
Scale insect Metaphycus parasitoids	Metaphycus flavus, M. luteolus, M. helvolus, and other Metaphycus spp.
Scale insects Coccophagus parasitoid	Coccophagus lycimnia =C. lecanii
Stink bug Trissolcus parasitoids	Trissolcus basalis, T. euschisti, and other Trissolcus species
Tachinid flies	Erynnia, Erynniopsis, Trichopoda, and Voria species and other Tachinidae
Trichogramma parasitoids	Trichogramma spp.
True bug Trichopoda parasitoid	Trichopoda pennipes
Walnut aphid Trioxys parasitoid	Trioxys pallidus
Western flower thrips Ceranisus parasitoid	Ceranisus menes
Whitefly Cales parasitoid	Cales noacki
Whitefly Encarsia formosa parasitoid	Encarsia formosa
Whitefly Encarsia pergandiella parasitoid	Encarsia pergandiella
Woolly whitefly Amitus parasitoid	Amitus spiniferus

Weed herbivores

Adult or larval stages or both of invertebrate weed herbivores feed on or inside of undesirable plants (weeds). They kill their hosts, reduce weeds' reproductive capacity (e.g., seed production), or both.

Common name	Scientific name
Cochineal scales of prickly pear cacti	Dactylopius spp.
Klamathweed beetle	Chrysolina quadrigemina
Puncturevine weevils	Microlarinus lareynii and M. lypriformis
Tamarisk beetles	Diorhabda elongata and other Diorhabda spp.