The wasp lays a group of eggs on the body of the paralyzed caterpillar, and wasp larvae hatch out and feed gregariously on the host. Because B. hebetor 's development time from egg to adult is half that of its host, and several adult wasps can be produced from one parasitized host, this species is considered an excellent candidate for biological control since its population can increase rapidly and overtake that of the host. Anisopteromalus calandrae and Choetospila elegans . Then she lays an egg on the host that eventually develops into an adult wasp. Pirate bugs such as the warehouse pirate bug, Xylocoris flavipes , and the larger pirate bug, Lyctocoris campestris , are generalist predators whose adults and nymphs feed on any life stage of pests that can be subdued.
Pirate bugs have the greatest impact on external feeding species of beetles and moths.
The species discussed here are easy to rear and manipulate in the laboratory and some species are now commercially mass-produced for sale to stored grain managers. None of these species feed on or adversely affect grain, and the adult natural enemies occur outside grain kernels and hence can be cleaned from grain before milling. Research during the 1970's and 1980's demonstrated the efficacy of parasitoids and predators in controlling storage pests. Several other studies have yielded similar results that suggest these natural enemies should provide effective biological control of storage pests. However, these experiments were conducted under laboratory conditions in which the commodities, storage containers or structures, and numbers of pest insects were under strict control.