Outbreaks of Mexican bean beetles, a leaf-eating eating species of ladybird beetle, devastated crops through the 1980s, when infestations of larvae would devour leaf tissue in soybean fields, leaving just a lacy skeleton behind. This project supports use of beneficial insects to prevent outbreaks. A beneficial parasitic wasp called Pediobis fovelolatus, native to India, lays eggs inside Mexican bean beetle larvae. When those eggs hatch, the wasp larvae feed inside the bean beetle larvae, dramatically reducing the population of pests feeding on soybean leaves. The parasitic wasps have proven to be an effective alternative to insecticides.

Key Benefactors:
farmers, agronomists, extension agents