Editing Biological pest control (section)

==History==

The term "biological control" was first used by [[Harry Scott Smith]] at the 1919 meeting of the Pacific Slope Branch of the American Association of Economic Entomologists, in [[Riverside, California]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://biocontrol.ucr.edu/hoddle/harrysmithfund.html |title=Biological Control: Harry Smith Fund |access-date=2 March 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421234114/http://biocontrol.ucr.edu/hoddle/harrysmithfund.html |archive-date=21 April 2017 }}</ref> It was brought into more widespread use by the entomologist Paul H. DeBach (1914–1993) who worked on citrus crop pests throughout his life.<ref>{{cite web|title=Inventory of the Paul H. DeBach Papers, 1921–1989 (bulk 1955–1980) |url=http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt2c60258h/ |publisher=Online Archive of California |access-date=7 April 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170408081537/http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark%3A/13030/kt2c60258h/ |archive-date= 8 April 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=DeBach P., Hagen K. S. |date=1964 |title=Manipulation of entomophagous species |pages=429–458 |editor=P. DeBach |work=Biological control of insect pests and weeds |publisher=Reinhold}}</ref> However, the practice has previously been used for centuries. The first report of the use of an insect species to control an insect pest comes from "[[Nanfang Caomu Zhuang]]" (南方草木狀 ''Plants of the Southern Regions'') ({{circa|304 AD}}), attributed to [[Jin dynasty (265-420)|Western Jin dynasty]] botanist ''Ji Han'' (嵇含, 263–307), in which it is mentioned that "''[[Jiaozhi]] people sell ants and their nests attached to twigs looking like thin cotton envelopes, the reddish-yellow ant being larger than normal. Without such ants, southern citrus fruits will be severely insect-damaged''".<ref name="http-server.carleton.ca">{{cite journal |url=http://http-server.carleton.ca/~bgordon/Rice/papers/peng83.htm |title=Biological Control – One Of The Fine Traditions Of Ancient Chinese Agricultural Techniques |author=Peng, Shijiang |journal=Scientia Agricultura Sinica |date=1983 |volume=1 |pages=92–98 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220073341/http://http-server.carleton.ca/~bgordon/Rice/papers/peng83.htm |archive-date=2016-12-20 }}</ref> The ants used are known as ''huang gan'' (''huang'' = yellow, ''gan'' = citrus) ants (''[[Oecophylla smaragdina]]''). The practice was later reported by Ling Biao Lu Yi (late [[Tang dynasty]] or Early [[Five Dynasties]]), in ''Ji Le Pian'' by ''Zhuang Jisu'' ([[Song dynasty|Southern Song dynasty]]), in the ''Book of Tree Planting'' by Yu Zhen Mu ([[Ming dynasty]]), in the book ''Guangdong Xing Yu'' (17th century), ''Lingnan'' by Wu Zhen Fang (Qing dynasty), in ''Nanyue Miscellanies'' by Li Diao Yuan, and others.<ref name="http-server.carleton.ca"/>

Biological control techniques as we know them today started to emerge in the 1870s. During this decade, in the US, the Missouri State Entomologist C. V. Riley and the Illinois State Entomologist W. LeBaron began within-state redistribution of parasitoids to control crop pests. The first international shipment of an insect as a biological control agent was made by Charles V. Riley in 1873, shipping to France the predatory mites ''Tyroglyphus phylloxera'' to help fight the grapevine phylloxera ([[Phylloxera|''Daktulosphaira vitifoliae'']]) that was destroying grapevines in France. The [[United States Department of Agriculture]] (USDA) initiated research in classical biological control following the establishment of the Division of Entomology in 1881, with C. V. Riley as Chief. The first importation of a parasitoidal wasp into the United States was that of the braconid ''[[Cotesia glomerata]]'' in 1883–1884, imported from Europe to control the invasive cabbage white butterfly, ''[[Pieris rapae]]''. In 1888–1889 the vedalia beetle, ''[[Novius cardinalis]]'', a lady beetle, was introduced from [[Australia]] to [[California]] to control the cottony cushion scale, ''[[Icerya purchasi]]''. This had become a major problem for the newly developed citrus industry in California, but by the end of 1889, the cottony cushion scale population had already declined. This great success led to further introductions of beneficial insects into the US.<ref name="Coulson J. R. 2000">Coulson, J. R.; Vail, P. V.; Dix M.E.; Nordlund, D.A.; Kauffman, W.C.; Eds. 2000. 110 years of biological control research and development in the United States Department of Agriculture: 1883–1993. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. pages=3–11</ref><ref name=Berkeley>{{cite web |title=History and Development of Biological Control (notes) |access-date=10 April 2017 |publisher=University of California Berkeley |url=https://nature.berkeley.edu/biocon/BC%20Class%20Notes/6-11%20BC%20History.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124001647/http://nature.berkeley.edu/biocon/BC%20Class%20Notes/6-11%20BC%20History.pdf |archive-date=24 November 2015 }}</ref>

In 1905 the USDA initiated its first large-scale biological control program, sending entomologists to Europe and Japan to look for natural enemies of the spongy moth, ''[[Lymantria dispar dispar]]'', and the brown-tail moth, [[Brown-tail|''Euproctis chrysorrhoea'']], invasive pests of trees and shrubs. As a result, nine parasitoids (solitary wasps) of the spongy moth, seven of the brown-tail moth, and two predators of both moths became established in the US. Although the spongy moth was not fully controlled by these natural enemies, the frequency, duration, and severity of its outbreaks were reduced and the program was regarded as successful. This program also led to the development of many concepts, principles, and procedures for the implementation of biological control programs.<ref name="Coulson J. R. 2000"/><ref name=Berkeley/><ref>{{cite web|last1=Reardon |first1=Richard C. |title=Biological Control of The Gypsy Moth: An Overview |url=http://www.main.nc.us/SERAMBO/BControl/gypsy.html#conclu |website=Southern Appalachian Biological Control Initiative Workshop |access-date=10 April 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160905052259/http://www.main.nc.us/SERAMBO/BControl/gypsy.html |archive-date= 5 September 2016 }}</ref>

[[File:Larvaefeedingoncacti.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Cactoblastis cactorum]]'' larvae feeding on ''[[Opuntia]]'' prickly pear cacti]]

[[Opuntia|Prickly pear cacti]] were introduced into [[Queensland]], Australia as ornamental plants, starting in 1788. They quickly spread to cover over 25&nbsp;million hectares of Australia by 1920, increasing by 1&nbsp;million hectares per year. Digging, burning, and crushing all proved ineffective. Two control agents were introduced to help control the spread of the plant, the cactus moth ''[[Cactoblastis cactorum]]'', and the scale insect ''[[Dactylopius]]''. Between 1926 and 1931, tens of millions of cactus moth eggs were distributed around Queensland with great success, and by 1932, most areas of prickly pear had been destroyed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/55301/IPA-Prickly-Pear-Story-PP62.pdf |title=The Prickly Pear Story |publisher=Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland |access-date=7 June 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610135855/https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/55301/IPA-Prickly-Pear-Story-PP62.pdf |archive-date=10 June 2016 }}</ref>

The first reported case of a classical biological control attempt in [[Canada]] involves the parasitoidal wasp ''[[Trichogramma]] [[Trichogramma minutum|minutum]]''. Individuals were caught in [[New York State]] and released in [[Ontario]] gardens in 1882 by William Saunders, a trained chemist and first Director of the Dominion Experimental Farms, for controlling the invasive currantworm ''[[Nematus ribesii]]''. Between 1884 and 1908, the first Dominion Entomologist, James Fletcher, continued introductions of other parasitoids and pathogens for the control of pests in Canada.<ref>{{cite book |author=McLeod J. H., McGugan B. M., Coppel H. C. |date=1962 |title=A Review of the Biological Control Attempts Against Insects and Weeds in Canada. Technical Communication No. 2 |publisher=Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau |location=Reading, England}}</ref>