Which organisms are considered natural enemies in biological control?

• A. Chemical pesticides
• B. Parasitoids, predators, and entomopathogenic fungi
• C. Weed species
• D. Soil microbes only

Answer: (B)

Natural enemies are organisms that naturally suppress pest populations, helping control pests without human-made chemicals. Parasitoids, predators, and entomopathogenic fungi fit this role because they directly attack pests: parasitoids lay eggs on or in the pest and the developing offspring kill or consume it; predators feed on pests; and entomopathogenic fungi infect and kill insects. This combination reflects how biological control relies on natural interactions to reduce pest numbers in the environment.

Chemical pesticides are not natural enemies; they are external control methods. Weed species do not serve as enemies to pests in the biological-control sense. Limiting natural enemies to soil microbes only overlooks other important agents and is too narrow, since many effective natural enemies live above ground or function as predators or parasitoids, not just as soil microbes.