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