Exploring the Kairomone-Based Foraging Behaviour of Natural Enemies to Enhance Biological Control: A Review

Kairomones are chemical signals that mediate interspecific interactions beneficial to organisms detect the cues. These attractants can be individual compounds or mixtures of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) herbivore chemicals such as pheromones, i.e., mediating intraspecific communication between herbivores. Natural enemies eavesdrop on kairomones during their foraging behaviour, location oviposition sites and feeding resources in nature. Kairomone likely elicit stronger olfactory responses natural than single kairomones. Kairomone-based lures used enhance biological control strategies via attraction retention reduce insect pest populations crop damage an environmentally friendly way. In this review, we focus ways improve efficiency kairomone use fields. First, highlight sources tri-trophic systems discuss how these by searching for hosts prey. Then summarise examples field application (pheromones vs. HIPVs) recruiting enemies. We need future studies blends rather which currently dominate literature further improving through attract reward technique, associative learning, optimisation lure formulations. Finally, why effectiveness enhancing should move from demonstration increase number attracted enemies, reducing below economic threshold levels increasing yield.