Introduction Many orchard pests are attacked by beneficial insects or mites. Natural enemies of pests in orchards include both predators and parasitoids.
Predators are generally as large, or larger than the prey they feed on.
They are quite capable of moving around to search out their food, and they usually consume many pest insects during their lifetime. Ladybird beetles, lacewings , and syrphids are examples of insect predators. Parasitoids, or parasitic insects, are smaller than their prey. One or more parasitoids grow and develop in or on a single host. Most parasitic insects are wasps or flies.