Green lacewings are delicate green insects of the family Chrysopidae with large, net-veined wings. The adults of the commonly sold Chrysoperla species feed on nectar, pollen and honeydew. Their larvae, often called aphid lions, are voracious generalist predators with sickle-shaped jaws that eat aphids, thrips, whitefly nymphs, mite eggs and small caterpillars.
In practice
Growers buy lacewings as eggs on cards or as young larvae in a carrier and distribute them near pest colonies. Larvae hunt for two to three weeks before pupating. Because they eat almost anything small, including each other and other beneficials, they are best used as a strike force on aphid hot spots rather than as the only programme. Eggs sit on hair-like stalks, which is how growers recognise wild lacewings outdoors. Avoid broad-spectrum sprays where they are active.
Don't confuse with
- Ladybird larvae: stockier, spiny, usually dark with orange marks.
- Brown lacewings: a related family with similar predatory larvae.
- Syrphid fly larvae: legless maggots that also eat aphids.
The sugary liquid excreted by sap-feeding insects such as aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs and soft scales; it makes leaves sticky and feeds sooty mould.Small soft-bodied sap-sucking insects of the family Aphididae that cluster on stems and leaf undersides, excrete sticky honeydew and multiply rapidly by live birth.Slender insects about 1-2 mm long, chiefly western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis), that rasp leaf surfaces, leaving silvery streaks dotted with black frass.Small white-winged sap-sucking insects of the family Aleyrodidae, mainly Trialeurodes vaporariorum and Bemisia tabaci, that fly up when disturbed and coat leaves in honeydew.Using living natural enemies, such as predators, parasitoids, nematodes and microbes, to suppress pests and diseases instead of, or before, chemical sprays.Predatory beetles of the family Coccinellidae, such as Hippodamia convergens, whose adults and larvae eat aphids and other soft-bodied pests.Tiny parasitic wasps of the genus Aphidius that lay eggs inside aphids; the larva kills the host from inside, leaving a swollen tan mummy.
