Brown lacewings belongs to an insect family called Hemerobiidae and scientifically known as Hemerobius spp. Like green lacewings, brown lacewings are also aggressive predators of aphids and other soft- bodied insects including whiteflies, scale insects and mealybugs and thrips. Adults of brown lacewings possess two pairs of transparent brown colored wings. Brown lacewing adults are tiny about 1 cm long insects with big eyes and very long and thin antennae. Both adults and larvae of brown lacewing are predatory in nature. Mature larvae of brown lacewing are about 10 mm long, brown in color and look like small alligators.
- - Predatory brown lacewings are effective against following insects and their stages
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- Different species of aphids
- Eggs of different insect species
- Immature stages of whiteflies
- Mealybugs
- Mites
- Small caterpillars/larvae
- Scale insects
- Thrips
- + How Brown Lacewing, Hemerobius spp. are applied?
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- Brown lacewings are commercially sold as adults but both larval and adult stages are predatory in nature.
- When brown lacewing adults are released in the garden, they are always very active early in the evening.
- After mating, females generally lay eggs on aphid infested plants individually or in groups without any stalk, which is generally present in green lacewing eggs.
- These eggs hatch into larvae, which will then immediately start feeding on different stages of aphids and other host insects.
- + How do predatory brown lacewing,Hemerobius spp. control insects pests?
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- As both adults and larvae of brown lacewings are predatory in nature, adults generally start feeding on aphids or any other soft-bodied insects soon after their release in the field.
- Like green lacewing larvae, brown lacewing larvae also called as "aphid lions" because they voraciously feed on aphids.
- While feeding on aphids, adults of brown lacewing mate and their females lay eggs on aphid infested plants. These eggs hatch into larvae that looks like a small alligator.
- Hatched larvae will immediately start feeding on different stages of aphids and other host insects.
- Brown lacewing larvae have curved jaws called mandibles that they use for catching and puncturing of their prey and then they suck body content of the punctured prey.
- These predatory brown lacewing larvae can destroy and eat over 100 aphids within a week.
- The larval stage lasts 2-3 weeks and they performs as biological control agents at optimum temperature between 67-89°F (19-31.6°C) with a relative humidity of 30% or greater. However, these environmental conditions are not necessarily a prerequisite of their successful implementation.
- + Why you need Predatory Brown Lacewing, Hemerobius spp.?
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- they can reduce the crop damage by feeding on the soft bodied insect pests.
- they are able to actively search, kill and eat their hosts including aphids, mealybugs, mites, immature stages of whiteflies and caterpillars/larvae of different insect pests
- they can reproduce and continue their life cycle on aphids in your garden after first application
- they are commercially available and easy to apply in the greenhouses or gardens
- + Why Predatory Brown Lacewing,Hemerobius spp. are safer than traditional pesticides?
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- they do not damage plants
- can be used and applied around children and pets
- do not cause any harm to the personnel involved in their production and application
- food products are safe to handle and eat when they are treated with beetles
- they do not harm humans, animals and pollute the environment
- + Research Papers
- Branco, M., Franco, J. C., Carvalho, C. J. and Mendel, Z. 2001. Occurrence of Hemerobius stigma Stephens in pine bast scale (Matsucoccus spp.) populations: opportunistic predation or obligatory association? Bollettino di Zoologia Agraria e di Bachicoltura 33:397-407.
- Vidya, M.; Lingappa, S.; Patil, R. K.; Ramegowda, G. K. 2007. Host range, biology and feeding potential of brown lacewing, Micromus igorotus Banks. Journal of Biological Control 21:167-171.
