RSS
Home
Tiny but tenacious predator insects
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Lady Beetle
It’s hard to imagine something as small as a few centimeters having the heart and ferocity of a lion. Yet, that’s exactly the case with some of the tinier beneficial garden insects. Truth be told, for these tiny creatures, moxie or rather the lack of it, is not an issue.
Lady Beetles (Coleoptera Coccinellidae) are the most visible and best known of all the beneficial garden insect predators. At over 450 species in North America alone, who hasn’t seen these small, oval red and black insects meandering along a rose leaf or windowsill? Most lady beetles are carnivorous and live on aphids, mites, small insects and insect eggs. The exceptions are the Mexican bean beetle and the Squash beetle who both feed on plants. Another exception to note is the coloring. While most of them are red or orange with black markings, some are entirely black. Lady beetles benefit vegetables, trees, grain crops, strawberries, legumes or anything that’s attacked by aphids. Unlike some garden predators that will move on as a food source dries up, these inventive creatures will survive on other prey when aphids are scarce. They are most active in late spring and early fall and overwinter in buildings and under rocks and leaf litter.
Not as well known but equally beneficial is the common green lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea & Chrysoperla rufilabris). Both species are found throughout North America but C. carnea is found mainly in the northeastern, Midwestern and western United States. C. rufilabris, on the other hand, is found in the more humid regions of the country such as the southeast and is used in applications that have a similarly humid environment such as greenhouses or around irrigated crops. Nicknamed “aphid lions”, the larvae of these insects feed on aphids, spider mites, thrips, mealybugs, whiteflies, small caterpillars, beetle larvae and the eggs of leafhoppers, moths and leafminers. They are used to defend crops attacked by aphids such as cotton, sweet corn, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers eggplants, asparagus, leafy greens, apples and strawberries. Unlike the ladybeetle, adult green lacewings will seek other prey if their food source runs dry.
Both species are useful components in an Integrated Pest Management system and can be purchased commercially.
For more info: Beneficial Garden Predators
Purchase Green Lacewings
Purchase Ladybeetles
Related Articles:
Comments
