Review of Tachinids and Other Dipteran Parasitoids and Predators as Biological Control Agents in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru

Abstract

The use of dipterans in the biological control of insect pests in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru has mainly involved various species of tachinid flies (Diptera: Tachinidae) to control sugarcane stem borers of the genus Diatraea Guilding (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) via augmentative releases. Tachinid parasitoids also play an important role in the natural control of the solanaceous fruit borer Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in Colombia and Ecuador and have the potential to control the American palm weevil, Rhynchophorus palmarum L., and other species of Rhynchophorus Herbst (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae) in Colombia and other countries where they are considered pests. There are no reviews on the usage of dipterans in biological control in the above countries. Besides those studies on sugarcane, the information on dipteran parasitoids in the scientific literature is scarce and composed mainly of occasional observations, checklists of natural enemies of certain cultivated crops, and biological notes in taxonomic studies. The main objective of this study is to provide a review of the species of Tachinidae used in biological control programs in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Moreover, information on other dipterans families, e.g., Cecidomyiidae, Chamaemyiidae, Phoridae, and Syrphidae, which have been reported as natural enemies of insect pests, are also briefly discussed.