Abstract

The role of various natural enemies in regulating the build up of wood boring insects in Kerala is reviewed. Twenty eight species of insects belonging to the families Cleridae, Colydidae, Histeridae, Tenebrionidae, Passandridae (Coleoptera)Braconidae, Pteromalidae (Hymenoptera) and three species of birds were listed as the natural enemies of 11 wood boring insects in Kerala. They belonged to the families Bostrychidae, Scolytidae, Platypodidae (Coleoptera)Cossidae and Hepialidae (Lepidoptera) . Among the entomophagous insects listed, the clerids, histerids, colydids and braconids were present in large numbers in borer infested timber which could probably have played a role in keeping the pest population at a low level. The role of natural enemies in regulating the incidence of the wood borers needs to be further investigated