Recently I was privileged to come upon a newly emerged green lacewing resting on a cattleya leaf drying off in the glow of the setting sun. Bursting out of its hard exoskeleton, expanding its soft body & inflating its new crinkled wings requires a huge effort and during this “ecdysis” it is at its most vulnerable. In this case I was doubly pleased because I knew I had witnessed the emergence of a relatively unseen and unsung hero of the beneficial insect brigade.
Its larvae are prodigious destroyers of aphids, mealy bugs, flys, thrips, psyllids, white flys, leaf-hoppers, caterpillars spider mites and
moth eggs. They grasp their prey with pincer-like jaws & inject digestive juices to dissolve the prey’s body contents before sucking it
back as food. These varacious feeders are known to destroy aphids at a rate of 60/hour.
The adult Lacewing lives for about 6 weeks feeding on pollen & nectar thus fulfilling the important role of pollinator. In spring their
courtship song has been recorded as the ultralow frequency sound of their abdominal vibrations. Each female lays up to 600 eggs
perched on the end of a very fine stalk.
For over 30 years in the USA several companies have been producing & distributing green lacewing (Crysoperla rufilabria) eggs & larvae
for control of aphids and farm pests in crops as well as plant nurseries & shade houses etc.
This type of commercial control is relatively recent in Australia. info@bugsforbugs.com,au is a revelation & points to a bright future for
biological control agent production & distribution and the hope that the end of hazardous chemical control methods is in sight.
Revere & treasure this beautiful insect. Encourage it by growing lots of nectar & pollen producing flowers. Ditch the spray gun!
Thank you to Louise Blood for this article.
