The Lacewing Lab

Seasonal Biocontrol Tips!

Spotlight on Cryptolaemus:

Cryptolaemus montrouzieri or the mealybug destroyer is a tiny little beetle with a big appetite. It originally comes from Australia and is named after the explorer, botanist, and entomologist Abbé Montrouzier. What can Cryptolaemus do?

Fly. Having wings is a great advantage for locating prey. Flying is a huge contributor to the success of insects. In her recent book Buzz, Sting, Bite author Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson says flying allows insects to reach the food they need and escape from enemies. Insects could fly long before anything else on earth, giving them global dominance of the airspace for 150 million years. Flying helps Cryptolaemus reach pests that are out of reach and out of sight to the human eye. Very handy in a greenhouse. Bright lights can lure them away from their prey so release early or late or dim the lights. 

Eat mealybugs and soft scale. Cryptolaemus is an important biocontrol that is used worldwide. They feed on all life stages of mealybug and soft scale and can consume 30-70 prey each day! They work best when released on a regular basis where mealybugs and scale are present. Cryptolaemus works well in tandem with green lacewings.

Reproduce. Cryptolaemus females will lay their eggs directly into mealybug egg masses. Cryptolaemuslarvae are also effective predators and resemble mealybugs in appearance. One way to tell the difference is they move much more quickly, as most predators do. Be aware that pesticide residues may slow or prevent the establishment of Cryptolaemus, and ants may interfere as well. Optimum conditions for reproduction are 77-82°F with rH 70-80%, but they can be used between 60-91°F.

Crypto larvae. Be careful! They look a lot like their mealy bug prey - don't squash them.

Delight. Imagine the relief you’ll feel as you see those pesky mealybugs disappear from your plants. Use Cryptolaemus at rates of .5-1/ft² or 5 beetles/plant or 1,000-5,000/acre. Let's work with nature for natural pest control. 

Check out Cryptolaemus here!

Thanks for taking this biocontrol journey with us! 

~ Original content by Elaine Sawyer