insects Review Toxicity of Insecticides and Miticides to Natural Enemies in Australian Grains: A Review Kathy Overton 1,*, Ary A. Hoffmann 2 , Olivia L. Reynolds 1 and Paul A. Umina 1,2 1 Cesar Australia, 293 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia;
[email protected] (O.L.R.);
[email protected] (P.A.U.) 2 Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, School of BioSciences, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected] Simple Summary: Controlling invertebrate pests in crop fields using chemicals has been the main management strategy within the Australian grains industry for decades. However, chemical use can have unintended effects on natural enemies, which can play a key role in suppressing and controlling pest outbreaks within crops. We undertook a literature review of studies that have conducted chemical toxicity testing against arthropod natural enemies relevant to the Australian grains industry to examine trends and highlight research gaps and priorities. Most toxicity trials have been conducted in the laboratory, with few at larger, and hence, industry-relevant scales. Researchers have used a variety of methods when conducting toxicity testing, making it difficult to compare within and across different species of natural enemies. Furthermore, we found many gaps in testing, leading to unknown toxicity effects for several key natural enemies, some of which are economically important predators and parasitoids. Through our review, we make several key recommendations for future areas of research that could arm farmers and their advisors with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions when it comes to controlling crop pests.