Page 78 - AG 7-2011 Revised 2016

Green Lacewing Green Lacewing

Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR

Brown Lacewing Lacewing Larva

Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR Courtesy of Max Badgley & American Insectories

1.Antenna- long thread like 6.Thorax- yes Lacewing
2.Eyes- compound 7.Petiole- none
3.Head- facing forward 8.Abdomen- yes 6 5
4.Legs- 6 9.Color- green & brown 1
5.Wings- thick veins, clear 10.Other- larvae resemble tiny alligators

Life Cycle 48
When the adult finds some honeydew it will be stimulated to lay eggs, which appear on a thin stalk
about 3/4” long, usually on the underside of a leaf. The lacewing larvae live about three weeks Photo Courtesy of Corky’s Pest Control
before growing large enough to make their cocoon. About 5 to 7 days later, the adult lacewing
emerges. When the lacewing egg hatches into wingless larvae, this predator goes after its first
meal, then begins to hunt for more live prey - the pests on plants. The lacewing larvae feed on
insects from 14 to 21 days before they cycle to the pupal stage. By putting out lacewing eggs 2
times 14 days apart in plants, trees, and garden areas, it is possible to develop a sustainable cycle
of continuous pest-attacking larvae throughout the year except for the months of December through
February.

The Green Lacewing is an even better insect than the well-known ladybug beetle for controlling aphids and
many other plant pests. The lacewing larva will eat almost any kind of insect it can get hold of, including aphids
(their favorite), mealybugs, whiteflies, spider mites, thrips, caterpillars, and many more. The larvae are gray and
alligator-shaped; as they grow they eat more and more pests - they’ve been known to eat 60 aphids in one hour!
They use their long, hollow, pincer-like jaws to impale their prey, then they suck out all the body fluids, leaving
only a shrunken husk. The adults feed on nectar pollen, and the sticky excrement of aphids, whiteflies, and
mealybugs, which is called honeydew; some may also be predators.
The lacewing usually works better than the ladybug because it’s delivered in the egg stage so it obviously can’t fly
away, and it can be placed right where the pest actually is. Green Lacewings are delivered in egg form on a card
along with many dead moth eggs. It is then stapled to leaves where they’re most needed. It usually takes three
or four weeks for these predators to control a pest, but this can vary depending on the time of year, the initial
number of pest insects, the pest species, the area covered by the pest, etc. Releasing the lacewing at a higher
rate will usually speed up the control.
The lacewings can also be used as a preventative measure. If they are put out every two to four weeks in the
spring and summer, wave after wave of these predators will be searching your plants for pest infestations and
stopping them before they have a chance to build up to damaging levels. This is especially useful if you have a
species of plant that seems to get aphids every spring, e.g. citrus trees.

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