biology

Insectary plant

Insectary plant is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Insectary plant rather than just read about it. In short: Insectary plants are those that attract insects. As such, beneficial insectary plants are intentionally introduced into an ecosystem to increase pollen and nectar resources required by the natural enemies of the harmful or unwanted insects pests.

Key takeaways

Insectary plant belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Insectary plant to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Insectary plant from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Insectary plants are those that attract insects. As such, beneficial insectary plants are intentionally introduced into an ecosystem to increase pollen and nectar resources required by the natural enemies of the harmful or unwanted insects pests. Beyond an effective natural control of pests, the beneficial insects also assist in pollination. The "friendly insects" include ladybeetles, bees, ground beetles, hoverflies, and parasitic wasps. Other animals that are frequently considered beneficial include lizards, spiders, toads, and hummingbirds. Beneficial insects are as much as ten times more abundant in the insectary plantings area. Mortality of scale insects (caused by natural enemies) can be double with insectary plantings. In addition, a diversity of insectary plants can increase the population of beneficial insects such that these levels can be sustained even when the insectary plants are removed or die off. For maximum benefit in the garden, insectary plants can be grown alongside desired garden plants that do not have this benefit. The insects attracted to the insectary plants will also help the other nearby garden plants. Many members of the family Apiaceae (formerly known as Umbelliferae) are excellent insectary plants. Fennel, angelica, coriander (cilantro), dill, and wild carrot all provide in great number the tiny flowers required by parasitic wasps. Various clovers, yarrow, and rue also attract parasitic and predatory insects. Low-growing plants, such as thyme, rosemary, or mint, provide shelter for ground beetles and other beneficial insects. Composite flowers (daisy and chamomile) and mints (spearmint, peppermint, or catnip) will attract predatory wasps, hoverflies, and robber flies. The wasps will catch caterpillars and grubs to feed their young, while the predatory and parasitic flies attack many kinds of insects, including leaf hoppers and caterpillars. Other insectary plants include: mustard plants such as Brassica juncea, Phacelia tanacetifolia, buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), marigold (Tagetes patula), elderberry, Korean licorice mint (Agastache rugosa), blackberry, Convolvulus, Crataegus, Anthriscus sylvestris, Chrysanthemum segetum, Scrophularia, Rosa canina, Hedera helix, Centaurea cyanus, Eschscholzia californica, Prunus spinosa, Lobularia maritima.

See also Biological pest control Companion planting Beneficial weed Insect hotel

References

External links Enhancing Biological Control with Beneficial Insectary Plants - July 1998 - description Benefits of Insectary Plants Archived 2006-05-25 at the Wayback Machine Natural Pest Control See: tables http://eartheasy.com/grow_garden_insectary.htm See: tables http://www.agroecology.org/cases/insectaryplants.htm case study Beneficial Insects for Gardens Those Amazing Hover Flies: Order Diptera, family Syrphidae Video: Efficient Intercropping with Sweet Alyssum for Aphid Control in Lettuce

Illustrations

Insectary plant: Elderberry in Bloom — Elderberry in Bloom

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Insectary plant

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Insectary plant claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Insectary plant before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Insectary plant ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Insectary plant

In research: Insectary plant appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Insectary plant in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Insectary plant is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Insect ecology, Plant ecology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Insectary plant outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Insectary plant in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Insectary plant means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Insectary plant out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Insectary plant in simple terms?

Why does Insectary plant matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Insectary plant?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Insectary plant.