Mass Production and Quality of
Biological Control Agents
Jennifer L. Gillett, Heidi N. HansPetersen
& Norman C. Leppla
UF/IFAS~IPM Florida
Of all known insects only
<1/10 of 1%
are serious pests
Development of Commercial
Biological Control
California Environmental
Protection Agency- Department
of Pesticide Regulation
142 suppliers, 130 species
(1997)
Year
20
20
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
03
00
97
94
91
88
85
82
79
76
73
70
67
Cumulative
Number of Species
New Product Development
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Amblyseius swirskii
Feltiella acarisuga Diptera: Cecidomyiidae
(Therodiplosis persicae in Europe)
Multi-cellular Invertebrate
Natural Enemies
Purposes for Rearing Insects
Purposes for Rearing Insects
Types of Insect Rearing Systems
Blister Beetles
Medflies
Medfly
Screwworm
Options for Colonizing Insects
Parasite and Predator Rearing
Options for Colonizing Insects
Maintaining the Quality of
Colonized Insects
• Collection of appropriate biotypes
• Colonization and strain development
• Rearing proficiency
• Colony management
• Behavior-genetic selection
• Strain replacement
Quality Control Criteria
• Quantity- number of pupae & adults
• Size- weight of pupae
• Fecundity- oviposition & egg hatch
• Rate of Development- synchronization
• Adult Behavior- flight & longevity
• Field Performance- achieve purpose
Structured
Diagnostic
Procedures
Periodic Review Versus
Crisis Review
Screwworm
Total Quality
Management
Generic Guidelines for
Quality Systems
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Policy, planning and administration
Design assurance and change control
Control of purchased materials
Production quality control
User contact and field performance
Corrective action
Employee selection, training and motivation
IOBC
To facilitate and advance
cost-effective rearing of highquality insects and other
arthropods in support of
biological control and
integrated pest management
Workshops of the IOBC,
WGQC (AMRQC)
1982
1984
1986
1988
1991
1992
1993
1995
1998
2003
Gainesville, Florida
Wadenswil, Switzerland
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Vancouver, Canada
Wageningen, The Netherlands
Horsholm, Denmark
Rimini, Italy
Santa Barbara, California
Cali, Colombia
Montpellier, France
E. F. Boller and D. L. Chambers
E. F. Boller and D. L. Chambers
C. 0. Calkins
C. 0. Calkins
F. Bigler and J. C. van Lenteren
F. Bigler
M. Benuzzi and N. C. Leppla
R. F. Luck and N. C. Leppla
N. C. Leppla and T. R. Ashley
K. Bolckmans, P. De Clercq,
S. Grenier, A. Hale and N. Leppla
IOBC, AMRQC
Commercial Biological Control
Organizations
Global QC Programs
• Individual Companies
Customers
• International Standards
ISO 9000
ASTM (Amer. Soc. for Testing & Materials)
IOBC Guidelines (European Community)
• The Marketplace
Quality Products
Insect Rearing and Quality
Control References
Rearing of Insects (Encyclopedia of Insects, Resh &
Carde 2002)
The Basics of Insect Rearing (Encyclopedia of
Entomology, Capinera 2004)
Guidelines for quality control of commercially
produced natural enemies (Quality Control and
Production of Biological Control Agents, Theory and
Testing Procedures, van Lenteren 2003).
The Foundation of Quality Control for Insect Rearing
(Principles and Procedures for Rearing Quality
Insects, Mississippi State University, Schneider 2006)
Information on Commercial
Biological Control
http://ipm.ifas.ufl.edu