Anagyrus lopezi:
Two years after scientists from the National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources (NBAIR), released a tiny parasitic wasp Anagyrus lopezi into South India’s tapioca fields, the crop that once faced near devastation from an invasive pest is now thriving again.
- It is a tiny parasitic wasp which specifically targets the cassava mealybug.
- The wasp lays its eggs inside the pest, and the developing larvae consume it from within, naturally reducing mealybug numbers without harming other crops.
- The parasitoids spread naturally beyond the release points, up to 30–40 km, gradually bringing the mealybug population under control.
- It was imported from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Benin, West Africa.
- Tapioca (Cassava) is a major horticulture crop cultivated in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.
- It is cultivated throughout the tropical world for its tuberous roots, from which cassava flour, breads, tapioca, a laundry starch, and an alcoholic beverage are derived.
- This crop can be cultivated up to an elevation of 1000 m.
- All parts of cassava/tapioca – leaves, stem, tuber and rind – contain the compounds called cyanogenic glucosides (CNGs).
