BENEFICIAL INSECTS
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| Not all garden insects are pests. In fact, a great many of them are considered beneficial. Home gardeners recognize the good done by beneficial insects as well as the injury done by harmful ones. This guide is designed to help you determine whether the insects you see in your garden are harmful or helpful. |
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"When we kill off the natural enemies of a pest, we inherit their work." - C.B Huffaker
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Click on a Beneficial Insect below for a complete description.
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Ladybugs
Description: Lady beetles, ladybugs, or ladybird beetles are among the most visible and best known beneficial insects. Both the adult ladybug and the larvae will feed on pests that are not too hard shelled, too fast moving or too large.
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Praying Mantis
Description: A ferocious predator, the praying mantis will attack just about any insect in its path; unfortunately this includes other beneficial insects. |
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Lacewing
Description: Lacewing adults feed only on nectar, pollen, and aphid honeydew. It is their larvae that are active predators. Besides aphids, lacewing larvae feed on just about any soft-bodied pest they can "grab," including mealybugs, cottony cushion scale, spider mites, thrips, caterpillars, insect eggs, etc. |
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Trichogramma
Description: Trichogramma wasps are among the smallest beneficial insects, having a wingspread of about 1/50th of an inch. Despite its size, this parasitic wasp is an efficient destroyer of the eggs of more than 200 species of moths and butterflies which are leaf eaters in the larval (caterpillar) stage. |
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Fly Parasite
Description: An important biological control of filth flies, the fly parasite is thought to have been introduced to the western hemisphere along with the house fly and stable fly, which it parasitizes. |
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Minute Pirate Bug
Description: The adult minute pirate bug stuffs its 3 mm length with large amounts of thrips, spider mites, scale (including whitefly), aphids and leafhoppers, as well as the eggs and initial-larval stages of many soft bodied insects such as small caterpillars. |
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Beneficial Nematodes
Description: Beneficial Nematodes are microscopic, worm-like parasites that live in moist dark environments and kill almost all pest insects they come in contact with. They are ideally suited for use against insects in and on the soil and those that bore into wood, trees and shrubs. |
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Whitefly Parasite
Description: The most cost effective biological control agent to control greenhouse whiteflies. The whitefly parasite is attracted to its host by the actual smell of the honeydew produced by the pest, detecting it from several feet away. |
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Predatory Mite
Description: Predatory mites prey only on pest mites. The body of the predator is orange to red colored, pear shaped and the front legs are longer than those of the pest mites. Once they run out of food (pests), they simply starve to death. |
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Mealybug Destroyer
Description: The mealybug destroyer attacks all species of mealybugs and will feed on aphids and soft scale when mealybugs are scarce. Adult and larval stages are predatory. |
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Aphid Parasite
Description: The aphid parasite is a tiny, parasitic wasp that lays its eggs inside aphids causing them to mummify and die. New parasites soon emerge through a hole at the rear of the "mummy" and begin searching for healthy aphids to attack. |
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Aphid Predator
Description: Adult aphid predators seek out aphids and lay eggs near the colony. After about 2 - 3 days the eggs hatch into tiny, bright-orange larvae which immediately begin feeding on aphids and are attracted by the smell of honeydew. |
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Spined Soldier Bug
Description: Common throughout the United States, the spined soldier bug is an extremely efficient predator of over 100 insect pests, including the larvae of Mexican bean beetle, European corn borer, diamondback moth, corn earworm, beet armyworm, fall armyworm, cabbage looper, cabbageworm, Colorado potato beetle and flea beetles. |
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Thrips Predator
Description: This very small, tan colored predatory mite moves quickly to capture its prey, which is the egg and larval stages of various thrips species. Thrips predators also eat spider mites, other harmful mites, honeydew and pollen. |
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Bumble Bee
Description: Bumble Bees are extremely important pollinators and can be used effectively for the pollination of a variety of crops, like tomatoes, sweet peppers, eggplants, melons, strawberries, apples, pears and cherries. Improved pollination results in larger more abundant fruits and vegetables. |
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Fungus Gnat Predator
Description: Fungus gnat predators actively search for fungus gnat larvae and other harmful soil insects. Adult predators pierce the larvae and feed on their contents. |
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Leafminer Parasite
Description: This tiny insect kills leafminer larva in the mine and lays an egg in it. The egg develops into a parasitic wasp inside the mine (but outside the leafminer), using the dead larva as food. |
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Syrphid Flies
Description: This large family of flies, also known as hover flies, are important biological controls in many crops. The adults, resembling yellow jackets, are important pollinators, while the brownish or greenish caterpillar-like larvae have an appetite for aphids, beetles, caterpillars, sawflies, and thrips. Not commercially available. |
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Assassin Bugs
Description: All assassin bug species are predatory, primarily feeding on caterpillars and other insects. The assassin bug uses its long "beak" to stab the victim and then inject it with a lethal toxin that dissolves the tissue. The body contents are sucked out with the assassin bug's strawlike mouth parts. Not commercially available. |
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Braconid Wasps
Description: Several species of braconid wasps parasitize pest insects. Both the slender adults and tiny, cream-colored grubs feed on a range of pests, including aphids, cabbageworms, codling moths, and corn borers. Not commercially available. |
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Big-Eyed Bug
Description: The fast-moving big-eyed bug (1/8 - 1/4" long) has tiny black spots on its head and the middle part of its body. It is a voracious predator of the tarnished plant bug and will also dine on aphids, leafhoppers, spider mites, and some small caterpillars. Not commercially available. |
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Tachinid Flies
Description: Most tachinid flies attack caterpillars and adult and larval beetles, although others specialize on sawfly larvae, true bugs, grasshoppers, or others. These predators are important insects for the control of natural and introduced pests. Not commercially available. |
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Ground Beetles
Description: Ground beetles are one of the most common groups of beetles in North America. Adults vary in size from less than 1/8" to over one inch long. They are usually dark and shiny, although some species can be brightly colored. Nearly all adults and larvae are predaceous on other insects and are considered beneficial. Not commercially available. |
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Damsel Bugs
Description: Adult damsel bugs are 3/8 - 1/2" long, tan to reddish brown and slender, with the body tapering toward the head. Both the nymphs and adults are predatory and feed on a variety of prey. Almost any insect that is smaller or slower is subject to attack, including other predators. Not commercially available. |
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Robber Flies
Description: Robber flies are medium to large predatory insects known for their fast flight, excellent vision, and their habit of catching prey while in flight. Also called assassin flies, they are widely distributed throughout North America and feed on bees, beetles, dragonflies, other flies, grasshoppers, leafhoppers, wasps, and other insects. Not commercially available. |
