Biological control of arthropod pests in citrus orchards in China

• A total of 109 natural enemies against citrus insect pests were found in China.
• Field applications of different biological control approaches were evaluated in China.
• Conclusion and perspectives are discussed for the future biological control of citrus pests in China.

China has a very long history of biological control in citrus. Hundreds years ago, predatory ants (Oecophylla smaragdina Fabricius) were used to manage pests by Chinese citrus growers. Considerable effort has been placed on the use of biological control in citrus plant landscapes during last three decades. Many scientific studies have now been published, and some additional implementations have already working. In this paper, we review the research, development and application of biological control of citrus insect pests in China. In addition, the importance of biological control for the future control of citrus insect pests is also discussed.

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