Mirid and Geocorid Predators

Miridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Cimicomorpha), or plant bugs, are one of the most species-rich and diverse families amongst insects, with more than 11,000 described species. In the Oriental region, mirids comprise eight subfamilies with more than 346 genera. Mirids exhibit a wide range of food preferences and behaviors. Some mirids are pests of agricultural crops; others are predators of soft-bodied insects, larvae and eggs. Some mirid species are important as naturally occurring predators of crop pests or have been introduced and used successfully in biocontrol of pest species. In European countries, many of the dicyphine bugs are being mass reared on a large scale. In India, attempts have been made to rear predatory mirids and have also been evaluated against many insect species. Geocorids (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea), commonly known as big-eyed bugs, occur naturally worldwide having 300 spp. in 35 genera of five subfamilies. Geocoris is the largest genus with ca. 150 spp. From India, so far ten species of Geocoris have been reported from West Bengal and 23 species from rest of India. They feed on eggs, neonates, nymphs, aphids, thrips and mites. Life history traits of various Geocoris spp. have been studied, viz., G. atricolor, G. pallens, G. lubra, G. punctipes and G. ochropterus. Rearing protocol of G. ochropterus, a common species in the Indian ecosystem, has been developed. In conservation biocontrol, a key issue is to identify the most effective natural enemies, the mechanisms responsible for their increased persistence and higher effectiveness within the ecosystem. Miridae, or plant bugs, are one of the most species-rich and diverse families amongst insects, with more than 11,000 described species. In the Oriental region, mirids comprise eight subfamilies with more than 346 genera. Mirids are fragile and delicate bugs, varying in size, and are elongate to ovoid in shape. The head is triangular and prognathous but it can be hypognathous. The eyes are usually large and ocelli are absent except in Isometopinae, which have two ocelli and greatly enlarged eyes. Plant bug family is a hyperdiverse family and is found in all major biogeographic regions of the world, and it occupies all the layers of plant communities. The life cycle of mirids comprises an egg, five nymphal instars and adults. Eggs are laid interstitially within stems and petioles of plants. Research on the biology of mirids focuses typically on their food preferences and host and