Predator Management

The study on the biology of the Rangeeni strain of lac insect, Kerria manipurensis, on Malvaviscus penduliflorus was conducted at the Regional Field Gene Bank, Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Iroisemba, CAU, Imphal, during June and July of 2024–2025 to document its life history and developmental durations viz., duration of pre-sexual stages (days), duration of male emergence (days), sex ratio (per cent male insect) and life period of female lac insect (days). The pre-sexual stage duration ranged from 46.56 to 51.73 days, while male emergence lasted 12.11 to 15.91 days. The mean sex ratio varied between 26.03% and 29.10%, and the female life span ranged from 121.67 to 123.88 days. These findings establish baseline biological parameters of K. manipurensis on M. penduliflorus, which may serve as valuable data for future research on lac production, strain improvement, and integrated management strategies in northeastern India.

Conflicts between urban coyotes and humans have increased in recent years, particularly in the West. These include aggression and attacks on children, adults, and on pets; and damage to drip irrigation systems, garden crops, and other resources. News reports and our contact with agencies have informed us of more than 110 incidents in California alone, most within the past decade, in which humans were bitten by coyotes. However, few data are available on incidents of pet loss or other human-coyote conflicts in urban habitats. We suspect many conflicts occur because of human behaviors that results in coyote habituation; we hypothesize that with informed management, most are preventable. We have developed a web site, , as a tool to provide science-based management recommendations to homeowners and municipal officials to reduce coyote conflicts in urban / suburban areas. In addition to providing information, the website allows individuals to voluntarily upload photos and video of urban coyotes, and to submit first-hand reports describing conflicts and encounters. The web site contains an incident map, an Internet-enabled Geographic Information Systems (webGIS) tool, allowing coyote incidents to be displayed via a dynamic mapping interface by type of incident and by progress through time. The website became functional in September 2007 and is being pilot-tested in San Diego, Orange, and Los Angeles counties, California. The information being collected concerning coyote encounters and incidents should, over time, provide a means for a more complete analysis of this problem, thereby improving our management recommendations. A better factual understanding of the dimensions of the problem, as well as impacts of various management strategies currently in use, should help reduce some of the polarized atmosphere surrounding cities' and counties' attempts to find appropriate solutions to these conflicts.

Lac is mainly produced in India, Thailand, and Indonesia, parts of China, Vietnam and Cambodia. In India Bihar and Maharashtra are the major Lac producing state. Present study was carried out to enhance the production of Lac and multiplication of insect diversity in ecological system as if due to anthropogenic activity and increase in farm lands continuously forest cover has been detrioted by cutting down major host plants of lac insect too, destruction its habitat. Our study promotes and encourage lac culture to increase entrepreneur ship of among women and farmers community of rural agro depended area of district with conservation and identification of host plants Laccifer lacca.

The present study was carried out for the assessment of the abundance of various insect associated with lac insect in seoni and balaghat district of madhya pradesh during 2020-2021. During the study 12 species of fauna were reported with Kerria lacca kerr, 3, predators, 4 parasitoids and 5 hyper parasitoids belonging to 10 families. The study revealed that E. amabilis and P. pulverea are the major predator and T. Tachardiae and P. clavicornis found are the most destructive parasitoids of lac insects. In Seoni district maximum abundance was of T. tachardiae (43.12%) followed by P. clavicornis (23.9%), E. amabilis (18.70%), P. pulverea (8.31%) whereas in Balaghat district similarly maximum abundance was of similarly T. tachardiae (74.8%) followed by P. clavicornis (9.22%), E. amabilis (7.32%) and P. pulverea (6.18%). Results revealed that the number of predators and parasitoids was higher in Balaghat district as compared to Seoni district and the maximum number of lac associated fauna...

Finding effective ways of conserving large carnivores is widely recognised as a priority in conservation. However, there is disagreement about the most effective way to do this, with some favouring top-down 'command and control' approaches and others favouring collaboration. Arguments for coercive top-down approaches have been presented elsewhere; here we present arguments for collaboration. In many parts of the developed world, flexibility of approach is built into the legislation, so that conservation objectives are balanced with other legitimate goals. In the developing world, limited resources, poverty and weak governance mean that collaborative approaches are likely to play a particularly important part in carnivore conservation. In general, coercive policies may lead to the deterioration of political legitimacy and potentially to non-compliance issues such as illegal killing, whereas collaborative approaches may lead to psychological ownership, enhanced trust, learning...

A field trial was conducted at Jawahar Model Farm, JNKVV, Jabalpur,
from June 2022 to June 2023 to assess the impact of insecticides on lac
insect survival across six Cajanus cajan landraces. Using a Split Plot
Design, the trial evaluated three treatments: chlorantraniliprole
followed by emamectin benzoate, emamectin benzoate followed by
emamectin benzoate and a control (water spray), revealing significant
differences in insect survival based on insecticide use and landrace
variation. This study investigates the impact of different insecticide
combinations on mean number of live lac insect (MNL) of Cajanus
cajan across multiple time points: 30th, 60th, 90th, 120th, 150th, and
180th days after brood lac inoculation (BLI). Results show that
chlorantraniliprole followed by emamectin benzoate (M1) consistently
achieved the highest MNL values and significantly reduced lac insect
losses compared to emamectin benzoate alone (M2) and water spray
(M3). On the 30th day post-BLI, MNL ranged from 161.89 (M1S4) to
178.11 (M3S5), with M3 + S5 producing the highest MNL. At 60 days,
MNL was highest with M1S1 (175.72), followed closely by M3S5
(168.46), and M1 also resulted in the lowest lac insect loss (1.10%). By
90 days, predator activity had increased, leading to MNL losses
peaking at 22.52% with the control (M3). Chlorantraniliprole (M1) and
emamectin benzoate (M2) treatments reduced this loss to 14.06% and
14.37%, respectively. The MNL trends continued at 120, 150, and 180
days, with the M1 + S1 and M1 + S5 combinations consistently
outperforming other treatments. At 180 days, MNL declines were
lowest in treated landraces, highlighting the critical role of insecticides
in protecting lac insects from natural enemies and minimizing
economic losses.

Beginning with the emerging pattern of urban and suburban coyotes (Canis latrans) attacking humans in southern California in the late 1970s, we analyzed information from reported attacks to better understand the factors contributing to changes in coyote behavior. We subsequently used updated data collected largely in urban and suburban environments in the United States and Canada during the past 30 years to develop strategies to reduce the risk of attacks. In the 1990s, increased incidents of coyote attacks were reported in states beyond California and in Canadian provinces. We documented 367 attacks on humans by coyotes from 1977 through 2015, of which 165 occurred in California. Of 348 total victims of coyote attack, 209 (60%) were adults, and 139 (40%) were children (age ≤10 years). Children (especially toddlers) are at greater risk of serious injury. The attacks exhibited seasonal patterns, with more occurring during the coyote breeding and pup-rearing season (March through August) than September through February. We reiterate management recommendations that, when enacted, have been demonstrated to eff ectively reduce risk of coyote attack in urban and suburban environments, and we note limitations of non-injurious hazing programs. We observed an apparent growing incidence of coyote attack on pets, an issue that we believe will drive coyote management policy at the local and state levels.

The field trial was conduct on Rangeeni lac production of different varieties of Cajanus cajan with population densities of lac insects, during the year 2015-16 and 2016-17. The analysis of the two year pooled data revealed that the mean dry weight of 100 lac cells varied from 2.56g in Amar to 4.22g in MA-3. The mean dry weight of 100 lac cells in MA-3(4.22g) was significantly higher than that in all the treatments. Therefore evolution of a host plant of lac insect should be decided by the weight of 100 dry lac cells produce on it. The present research was an attempt to evaluated 12 C. cajan varieties for lac production on the basis of dry weight of 100 lac cell.

Abstract
A two year field trial was conduct with 12 varieties of C. cajan. The two year pooled data on the mean
weight of total pods and seed yield of C. cajan with lac insects was significantly highest 3307 g and 2023
g (Rs.202.3) in MA-3 over all the 12 varieties evaluated. The mean weight of fuel wood of C. cajan
varieties 4.22 (Rs.21.1) in MA-3 to 2.56 (Rs. 12.8) in Amar. The mean weight of raw dry lac yield per
plant from 291.33g (Rs.34.95) NDA-1 to 519.17 g (Rs.62.30) MA-3. The result revealed that the lac
production increase the annual income of almost all the Lac growers has increased after adopting Lac
production. Subsequent to the acceptance of lac production, there was enormous increase in the annual
household income and empowerment has lead to a change in their household and socio economic status
of the Lac growers.

Finding effective ways of conserving large carnivores is widely recognised as a priority in conservation. However, there is disagreement about the most effective way to do this, with some favouring top-down 'command and control' approaches and others favouring collaboration. Arguments for coercive top-down approaches have been presented elsewhere; here we present arguments for collaboration. In many parts of the developed world, flexibility of approach is built into the legislation, so that conservation objectives are balanced with other legitimate goals. In the developing world, limited resources, poverty and weak governance mean that collaborative approaches are likely to play a particularly important part in carnivore conservation. In general, coercive policies may lead to the deterioration of political legitimacy and potentially to non-compliance issues such as illegal killing, whereas collaborative approaches may lead to psychological ownership, enhanced trust, learning...

This chapter provides an in-depth exploration of Lac culture, encompassing the intricate processes of cultivation, harvesting, processing, and value addition associated with this unique natural product. Lac, a resinous secretion derived from the lac insect (Kerria lacca), holds significant economic and cultural importance in various industries worldwide. The chapter begins by elucidating the essential aspects of Lac cultivation, detailing the selection and maintenance of host trees, environmental conditions, and various techniques to encourage the growth and reproduction of the lac insect. Subsequently, the chapter covers the intricate process of lac resin processing. It outlines the steps involved in refining and purifying the raw resin, transforming it into commercially viable products with diverse applications.

Studies of environmental history provide an important lens through which to analyse our contemporary thinking and practices. Here we consider historic management of the conflict caused by dingo predation on livestock. We present unpublished findings of a comprehensive national survey of graziers’ attitudes, knowledge and interactions with dingoes that was conducted by Professor N.W.G. Macintosh in the 1950s. By analysing the 137 responses from this survey, we sought to determine the factors that shaped graziers’ attitudes and management decisions. The four most popular management methods employed to protect livestock from dingoes were trapping (80%), ground-baiting (68%), fencing (44%), and shooting (34%). Whether a respondent had sheep or not was the strongest determinant of which management methods were used, with sheep graziers less likely to use ground-baiting and shooting and more likely to use trapping and fencing. While some patterns among responses were evident, the study re...

Study on insect pest complex of Flemingia macrophylla (Willd) and Flemingia semialata (Roxb) was carried out in the plots maintained for lac insect conservation under ICAR-Network Project on Conservation of Lac Insect Genetic Resources (NPCLIGR) in the Department of Entomology, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat from April to December during two consecutive years viz., 2015 and 2016. The results revealed the occurrence of 15 phytophagous pests namely Hyposidra talaca successaria (Walker), Orgyia sp., Somena scintillans (Walker), Euproctis sp., Archips sp., Omiodes diemenalis (Guenee), Dasychira (Olene) mendosa (Hubner), Monolepta signata (Olivier), Apion clavipes (Gerst), Plannococcus sp., Bemisia tabaci (Genn.), Oxyrachis sp., Aphis craccivora (Koch), Jassids and Callosobruchus chinensis (Linn.), infesting the particular host plants. Out of these 15 species, 7 belonged to the order Lepidoptera, 3 Coleoptera and 5 Hemiptera. These pests were categorized as defoliators (9 species)...

The study on life cycle duration of lac insect revealed a minimum duration of 149 days during summer 2016 and the highest of 199 days during winter 2017. Variation of life span was more in Kerria lacca 149-199 days but in the case of K. chinensis, life span varied from 155-194 days. The correlation analysis of weather parameters with life cycle duration of lac insect showed a highly significant positive correlation (r = 0.85**) with morning relative humidity and significant negative correlation (r = -0.68*) with total rainfall. The multiple linear regression analysis showed that total rainfall, maximum temperature, bright sunshine hours, morning and evening relative humidity were the major weather parameters which affected the life cycle duration of Kerria spp and these five weather parameters exhibited the highest Adjusted Coefficient of Determination of 86.37 per cent and explained 93.94 per cent of the total variation occurring in the crop growth period.

Indian lac insect, Kerria lacca used to settle on the bark of host plants to take the plant sap after penetrating its rostrum. Plants accumulate a great variety of secondary metabolites in their bark tissues possibly to resist herbivorous invaders. Near about hundred plant species are known as host plant of K. lacca. The endoglandular secretion of this insect is a commercial resin commonly known as lac. In the present study data obtained from genomic sequences of 5.8S r DNA have shown that the studied host plants are not taxonomically closely related, though Butea monosperma and Ziziphus jujuba are more close than Schlischeria oleosa. But gas chromatographic analysis reveals the presence of same kind of terpenoid molecules among the studied host plants viz. B. monosperma, Z. jujuba, S. oleosa, as well as in the lac encrustations secreted by lac insect thriving on these host plants. Present study focuses solely on the possibilities of host plant terpenoids as one of the major key fac...

The goal to make New Zealand predator-free by 2050 has drawn strong praise and criticism, but these critiques have focused largely on economic or technological feasibility of long-term large-scale eradication. We suggest that achieving this goal is not a simple 'scaling-up' of current eradication efforts, but requires enduring coordination and integration of research, management and societal elements if a predator-free goal is to become a reality. Here we ask what are the key impediments to eradicating invasive species on a national scale? We highlight four interlinked issues that must be addressed to accomplish a predator-free New Zealand: (1) improved ecological understanding of interactive effects; (2) refinement and development of operational methods; (3) overcoming social and bioethical challenges; and (4) improving governance and partnerships with Māori. Understanding the linkages among these issues can also provide new insights into the biology and ecology of invasions, development of improved eradication methods, and social support or involvement in largescale conservation management. Addressing these challenges will ultimately improve policy and management of biological invaders and set new international precedents.

Indian lac insect, Kerria lacca used to settle on the bark of host plants to take the plant sap after penetrating its rostrum. Plants accumulate a great variety of secondary metabolites in their bark tissues possibly to resist herbivorous invaders. Near about hundred plant species are known as host plant of K. lacca. The endoglandular secretion of this insect is a commercial resin commonly known as lac. In the present study data obtained from genomic sequences of 5.8S r DNA have shown that the studied host plants are not taxonomically closely related, though Butea monosperma and Ziziphus jujuba are more close than Schlischeria oleosa. But gas chromatographic analysis reveals the presence of same kind of terpenoid molecules among the studied host plants viz. B. monosperma, Z. jujuba, S. oleosa, as well as in the lac encrustations secreted by lac insect thriving on these host plants. Present study focuses solely on the possibilities of host plant terpenoids as one of the major key fac...

Lac production on pigeonpea a few an opportunities to resource poor small and marginal farmers to double their income. Among the ten genotypes evaluated, Lakhnadon-2 performed better with highest lac production of 414 g per plant. This genotype also had highest percent of secondary branches with lac insect settlement the mean weight of 100 lac cells was also significantly highest (3.27 g), indicating that Lakhnadon-2, provides better phloem sap to the lac insects growing on it.

Lac production on pigeonpea a few an opportunities to resource poor small and marginal farmers to double their income. Among the ten genotypes evaluated, Lakhnadon-2 performed better with highest lac production of 414 g per plant. This genotype also had highest percent of secondary branches with lac insect settlement the mean weight of 100 lac cells was also significantly highest (3.27 g), indicating that Lakhnadon-2, provides better phloem sap to the lac insects growing on it.

National Science Challenge for Biological Heritage launched its 'High-tech solutions to invasive mammal pests' project, within which the bioethics panel writing this report sits independently. In July 2017, the New Zealand Department of Conservation created a PF2050 unit and in November 2018 launched a discussion guide initiating work towards a strategic plan. As it currently exists, PFNZ is both a social movement and a government-sponsored initiative. It encompasses a range of predator management activities including those that have long been going on in Aotearoa New Zealand and those that are new to Aotearoa New Zealand. As a social movement, it is realised in various forms. For example, the introduced mammalian predator species considered 'in scope' can differ. The species considered in scope are commonly the three introduced rat species (Rattus exulans, Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus), the stoat (Mustela erminea), and the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). 2 At this point it is unclear whether, or how, non-wild members of these species will be managed, such as those kept for companionship or economic reasons. Mice are typically considered out of scope as they are not a major predator of New Zealand animals. Cats are also excluded from the PFNZ goal and strategic plans because they are a valued companion animal species and subject to their own management plan (the National Cat Management Strategy). As a social movement, those involved in PFNZ may seek to achieve different results from their contributions. Thresholds of what counts as 'predator-free'-such as complete removal versus control to zero detectability or zero impacts-can vary among interested groups, along with more specific goals. The Government company Predator Free 2050 Ltd has adopted four interim 2025 goals and an ultimate deadline of 2050, which will determine its priorities and actions in the immediate future. 3 We adopt this common ('PF2050') understanding of the scope of PFNZ for the purposes of this report, while noting that the wider scope of PFNZ remains a matter of debate. Our aim in doing so is to be clear about the subject matter of our panel's discussion, not to endorse this as the single best way to understand PFNZ's scope. Many parties are developing novel tools and technologies that could contribute to the vision of PFNZ by supporting cost-effective, landscapescale predator control, or eradication and surveillance of small mammal pests. However, it is unclear whether New Zealanders at large share the vision of PFNZ as a whole. PFNZ presents opportunities for reasonable ethical disagreement on many levels, from the goals and objectives of PFNZ, to which tools and technologies ought to be designed and how they should be implemented. A candid and thorough exploration of these potential disagreements is vital. For this reason a bioethics panel was established to map out the landscape of social, ethical and cultural considerations surrounding PFNZ. The panel was co-convened by Emily Parke (School of Humanities) and James Russell (School of Biological Sciences), from the University of Auckland, as part of a larger project called 'High tech solutions to invasive mammal pest control' funded by the Biological Heritage National Science Challenge. The panel brings together 12 academic, industry and community experts (listed below) to discuss and map out the landscape of social, cultural and ethical issues regarding PFNZ. Panel membership is diverse in terms of gender and culture, and includes representatives with experience in Māori tribal governance, philosophy, law, psychology, marketing, ecology, genetics, hunting, animal welfare, and environmental stewardship. The panel met on 15-16 June and 2-3 November 2017 at the University of Auckland, and committed to prepare a public report to aid discussion of key social, ethical, and cultural considerations that arise in relation to the aims of 1 Russell et al. (2015). 2 These are the in-scope species of Cabinet paper CAB-16-MIN-0335.