Natural enemies have been found in the plantation. They are important in checking the population of the larvae but clearly have not been able to restrict there numbers in the last 12 months or so. We have found insect parasitoids and predators and have observed birds in the plantation.

Parasitoids are typically wasps or flies that use a host to rear their own young - killing the host in the process. They often have a fairly narrow host range but due to their flying ability are able to search out individual hosts in dense foliage and trees.

They lay their eggs into or onto the egg or body of the pest. The egg hatches and the larva develops inside the host until it is an adult. It then cuts is way out and proceeds to find a mate and the females then go in search of more suitable hosts to parasitise.

We have found parasitic wasps - most likely a Cotesia species with their characteristic white cocoons attached to a larva and have found many parasitic Tachanid fly pupae inside the pupal cases instead of the normal moth pupae. In other crops these types of parasitoids can be very significant in reducing the next generation but have low impact on the current one.