Biology & Relative toxicity of insecticides on Cheilomenes sexmaculata

In recent decades, elevated awareness on the impacts of pesticide use on the environment and human health has resulted in efforts to reduce reliance on chemical controls. The pests themselves have indicated the need for a change by developing resistance. Therefore, an urge for alternatives to pesticides existed. The use of natural enemies to reduce the impacts of pests has a long history. Biological control could be more widely used to solve pressing needs in pest management. The insecticides applied on target pests also influence on non-target insects such as parasites and predators prevailing in natural ecosystem. These adverse effect caused by synthetic insecticides and bio-pesticides on natural enemies of insect pests is not yet studied in detail. In India, relatively little work has been done on the effect of insecticides against different natural enemies. Furthermore, so far less work has been undertaken in the feeding efficiency of C. sexmaculata. Selective pesticides are a basis for successful integrated pest management.