Collection

Special Issue: Recent advances in zoophytophagous arthropods for agroecosystems sustainability

Submission status
Closed
Zoophytophagous predators (ZP) display omnivorous behavior and feed on both plants and arthropods. As zoophagous, they may prey effectively on a wide range of prey, among which is many agricultural pests such as whiteflies, lepidopteran eggs, aphids, thrips or mites. As phytophagous, they can remain and even establish themselves in crops in periods of pest scarcity. These positive traits have led to the inclusion of many species of ZP in sustainable pest management programs in many crops worldwide. In recent years, the use of ZP has been greatly promoted. This trend has been associated with an increase in the number of new investigations into this important group of natural enemies. This special issue will cover, with some selected reviews, the most recent developments in the framework of the potential of ZP as natural enemies. Among others, innovative research articles focused on artificial selection on biological and behavioral traits, capacity of ZP to induce plant defenses, trophic interactions involving ZP at different levels, behavioral aspects of ZP or strategies to minimize plant damage and/or maximize their biocontrol services into integrated or organic crop protection packages will be processed for peer review.

Articles (18 in this collection)