EPPO Global Database

EPPO Reporting Service no. 05 - 2025 Num. article: 2025/131

Commercially available biological control agents in Germany


The following list (Table 1) details invertebrate biological control agents commercially available in Germany for use against plant pests. Since 1980, the number of commercially available invertebrate biological control agents in Germany has increased from less than five to more than 80 species in 2008, with numbers continuing to rise yearly since then. Most of the species consist of parasitoid wasps, followed by predatory mites, beetles, true bugs, entomopathogenic nematodes, and finally other predators (Diptera, Planipennia and Thysanoptera). 


Table 1. List of invertebrate biological control agents commercially available in Germany 

Species

Family 

Main target organism

Acarida



Hypoaspis aculeifer*

Laelapidae

Fungus gnats, thrips, springtails

Stratiolaelaps scimitus*

Laelapidae

Fungus gnats, thrips, springtails

Macrocheles robustulus*

Macrochelidae

Fungus gnats, thrips, shore flies, springtails

Amblydromalus limonicus*

Phytoseiidae

Thrips, whiteflies, spider mites

Amblyseius andersoni*

Phytoseiidae

Spider mites

Amblyseius swirskii*

Phytoseiidae

Thrips, whiteflies, mites

Iphiseius degenerans*

Phytoseiidae

Thrips

Neoseiulus barkeri*

Phytoseiidae

Thrips, thread-footed mites

Neoseiulus californicus*

Phytoseiidae

Spider mites

Neoseiulus cucumeris*

Phytoseiidae

Thrips, thread-footed mites

Phytoseiulus persimilis*

Phytoseiidae

Spider mites

Transeius montdorensis*

Phytoseiidae

Thrips, whiteflies, spider mites

Coleoptera



Adalia bipunctata***

Coccinellidae

Aphids

Chilocorus nigritus

Coccinellidae

Scale insects: Diaspididae

Coccinella septempunctata*

Coccinellidae

Aphids

Cryptolaemus montrouzieri***

Coccinellidae

Mealybugs

Cybocephalus nipponicus

Nitidulidae

Scale insects: Diaspididae

Dalotia coriaria*

Staphylinidae

Diptera

Delphastus catalinae*

Coccinellidae

Whiteflies

Delphastus pusillus

Coccinellidae

Whiteflies

Exochomus quadripustulatus*

Coccinellidae

Scale insects

Propylea quatuordecimpunctata*

Coccinellidae

Aphids

Rhyzobius forestieri**

Coccinellidae

Scale insects

Rhyzobius lophanthae

Coccinellidae

Scale insects and mealybugs

Rodolia cardinalis***

Coccinellidae

Icerya purchasi

Diptera



Aphidoletes aphidimyza*

Cecidomyiidae

Aphids

Episyrphus balteatus*

Syrphidae

Aphids

Eupeodes corollae*

Syrphidae

Aphids

Feltiella acarisuga*

Cecidomyiidae

Spider mites

Sphaerophoria rueppellii*

Syrphidae

Aphids

Heteroptera



Anthocoris nemoralis*

Anthocoridae

Psyllids (Cacopsylla pyri)

Macrolophus pygmaeus*

Miridae

Whiteflies

Orius laevigatus*

Anthocoridae

Thrips

Orius majusculus*

Anthocoridae

Thrips

Hymenoptera



Acerophagus maculipennis*

Encyrtidae

Mealybugs

Anagyrus fusciventris***

Encyrtidae

Pseudococcus longispinus

Anagyrus vladimiri*

Encyrtidae

Pseudococcidae

Aphelinus abdominalis*

Aphelinidae

Aphids

Aphidius colemani*

Braconidae

Aphids

Aphytis melinus***

Aphelinidae

Scale insects

Aprostocetus hagenowii*

Eulophidae

Cockroaches (Blattodea)

Bracon brevicornis

Braconidae

Ostrinia nubilalis

Cephalonomia tarsalis

Bethylidae

Storage beetles

Coccidoxenoides perminutus

Encyrtidae

Mealybugs

Coccophagus scutellaris*

Aphelinidae

Scale insects

Cryptanusia aureiscutellum

Encyrtidae

Mealybugs (Pseudococcus longispinus)

Dacnusa sibirica*

Braconidae

Leaf-miners

Diglyphus isaea*

Eulophidae

Leaf-miner flies

Encarsia citrina*

Aphelinidae

Scale insects

Encarsia formosa*

Aphelinidae

Whiteflies

Ephedrus cerasicola*

Braconidae

Aphids

Eretmocerus eremicus*

Aphelinidae

Whiteflies

Eretmocerus mundus*

Aphelinidae

Bemisia tabaci

Leptomastidea abnormis*

Encyrtidae

Mealybugs

Leptomastix dactylopii*

Encyrtidae

Mealybugs

Leptomastix epona*

Encyrtidae

Mealybugs

Lysiphlebus testaceipes

Braconidae

Aphids

Metaphycus flavus***

Encyrtidae

Coccidae, Saissetia oleae, Coccus hesperidum

Metaphycus helvolus***

Encyrtidae

Coccidae, Saissetia oleae, Coccus hesperidum

Metaphycus stanleyi

Encyrtidae

Coccidae, Saissetia oleae

Microterys nietneri*

Encyrtidae

Coccidae, Coccus hesperidum

Praon volucre*

Braconidae

Aphids

Thripobius semiluteus*

Eulophidae

Thrips

Trichogramma brassicae*

Trichogrammatidae

Lepidoptera

Trichogramma cacoeciae*

Trichogrammatidae

Lepidoptera

Trichogramma dendrolimi*

Trichogrammatidae

Lepidoptera

Trichogramma evanescens*

Trichogrammatidae

Lepidoptera

Trissolcus basalis*

Scelionidae

Pentatomidae bugs

Nematoda



Heterorhabditis bacteriophora*

Rhabditidae

Otiorhynchus spp., Phyllopertha

Heterorhabditis downesi*

Rhabditidae

Several Scarabaeidae

Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita*

Rhabditidae

Slugs

Steinernema carpocapsae*

Steinernematidae

Soil-borne insects (e.g. Otiorhynchus), Noctuidae

Steinernema feltiae*

Steinernematidae

Fungus gnats, Lepidoptera

Steinernema kraussei*

Steinernematidae

Otiorhynchus spp., Phyllopertha

Neuroptera



Chrysoperla carnea*

Chrysopidae

Aphids, mealybugs, small insects

Micromus angulatus*

Chrysopidae

Aphids

Thysanoptera



Franklinothrips vespiformis*

Aeolothripidae

Thrips

Karnyothrips melaleucus*

Phlaeothripidae

Scale insects


Where * = Augmentative BCA (EPPO Standard PM 6/3); ** = Classical BCA (PM 6/3); *** = both Augmentative and classical BCA (PM 6/3); ‡ = Formerly recommended BCA (PM 6/3)




Sources

Lemanski K, Herz A (2025) Commercial availability of invertebrate biological control agents targeting plant pests in Germany. Journal of Plant Disease and Protection 132, 67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41348-024-01046-1