Mantids, known as praying mantises, are highly effective biocontrol agents in agricultural and garden ecosystems. The name praying mantises is derived from the appearance of its forelegs as folded hands as if praying.
Mantids are relatively large insects that range in size from 50-120 mm (2-5 inches) long, depending on the species. They have a triangular head, widely spaced eyes, an elongated prothorax and abdomen, and large forelegs used to capture and hold prey.
Only one species (Tenodera aridifolia) is commercially available as a biological control agent for controlling different insect pests of crops grown in home gardens and fields.
Predatory Nature:
Mantids are predators of other insects such as aphids, caterpillars, beetles, and flies which makes them highly beneficial in agriculture. These predatory insects sometimes prey on their species, especially on male mantids.
They have long raptorial legs which capture and hold prey while crushing them and eating them. They also have forelegs and they are also known for their patience and ambush tactics.
Benefits as Biocontrol Agents:
By preying on a variety of pests, mantids help reduce the need for chemical pesticides, promoting a healthier environment. They target a large area of land while preying on unnecessary pests and help in naturally controlling the spread of pests and diseases on the crops.
They also help maintain ecological balance and support biodiversity in the ecosystem.
Implementation:
Farmers can purchase eggs of the mantises known as ootheca and nurture them so that they help control pests as they grow out as adults. This helps farmers naturally destroy insects and pests without hampering the crop and soil health with toxic chemicals and pesticides.
It is the need of time to use organic methods in farming and the use of mantids as biocontrol agents is one way of implementing natural and organic methods in agriculture.
Challenges and Considerations:
Despite its uses, there are still drawbacks involved in the use of species as farm predators. Let us understand the drawbacks below:
Non-Selective Predation:
One of the important challenges to be considered is that they are not selective when it comes to preying on pests and insects. This drawback is most important for consideration as it can affect the growth of crops by eliminating a few insects which are also essentially for the agricultural region.
Understanding the lifecycle of mantids is crucial for effective use in biocontrol. They have specific breeding and developmental stages that need to be considered for optimal pest management.
To conclude it can be said that mantids can be a good option to replace pesticides. As per natural law, every man-invented type of method shall have drawbacks similarly even the use of insects and other organic methods also have drawbacks. It is up to farmers as to how they tackle the conditions.
Here we can further say that to operate organically and produce natural yield it is important to first work on the drawbacks, and to do it one can think of instruments like eCrop which can analyze the benefits of farming techniques and also guide farmers in using, changing and relying on the techniques to obtain effective results in the fields.
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