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APHID CONTROL: Micromus varietgatus, BROWN LACEWING

Product: 50 or 100 adults per bottle. This Brown Lacewing is an exceptional predator. It was first collected during a survey of greenhouse peppers, looking for Foxglove Aphid Parasitoids. During the survey, this species was frequently associated with active Foxglove Aphid colonies. Unlike most Green Lacewings, Brown Lacewings are predator at all mobile stages of their lifecycle; in fact, it is the adult that does most of the predation, usually at night. Its eggs are laid low in the plant, providing excellent low level control, which is rare. Adults are 8 mm in length with several dark brown markings on wings.

Target: Their range of prey is equally impressive, aggressively consuming any of the sucking insects such as Aphids, Whitefly, Mealybug etc. They appear to find prey by smell. Has been seen feeding on: Foxglove Aphid, Aulacorthum solani, Pea Aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum

Release: 50 to 100 in hot spot upon arrival. These insect can not be stored and need to be released immediately.

Rate: 50 to 100 in hot spot

Temperature: They can complete their lifecycle in temperatures as low as 40C making it an excellent predator in ornamentals during the winter.

Notes: -Brown Lacewing should be used in conjunction with other biological controls. -It was recorded for the first time from North America in 1988, from Galiano Island, on the coast of southwestern British Columbia. The present records confirm the occurrence of this species in eastern Canada. -Micromus variegatus is a living relative of the Jurassic Lacewing Leptolingia. Both are in the order Neuroptera. Micromus variegatus is a member of the suborder Hemerobiiformia, the superfamily Hemerobioidea, and the family Hemerobiidae. Leptolingia is in the extinct family Grammolingiidae. Micromus variegatus is widely distributed. It is quite common in Europe and Asia. This lacewing has also been seen in Canada.

Phone: 905-382-2904; Email: [email protected] Please let NIC know within 24 hours upon receipt if there are a n y p r o b l e m s with your live insect order.

For further Information Contact: NATURAL INSECT CONTROL, 3737 Netherby Road, Stevensville, Ontario, L0S 1S0 905-382-2904; 905-382-4418 (Fax); [email protected] For further Information on all NIC Beneficial Insects go to www.naturalinsectcontrol.com

www.naturalinsectcontrol.com Aphid Controls: Ladybugs (Hippodamia convergens) -general predator will feed on many aphids species, does not feed well on melon/cotton aphids.

Lacewings (Chrysoperla spp.) -general predator and try our Lacewing on Strings for easy application.

Brown Lacewing (Micromus variegates)-Cool season predator (works at 40C)

Aphelinus abdominalis -Potato and Foxglove aphids. 2019 Aphidoletes aphidimyza -Green peach, melon/cotton, potato Crop and foxglove. Your best Preventative Aphid control

Recommendation Aphidius colemani -melon/cotton aphids.

Aphidius matricariae -Green peach, same melon/cotton aphids.

Aphidius ervi –Potato and foxglove aphids Aphids

This pest can come on quickly, scout your plants on a Beneficial Pests General Release regular basis (1 to 2 per week) and keep records. Aphids are Insect Rates drawn to plants that are high in nitrogen. Add your nitrogen Ladybugs Most Aphid 1000 Ladybugs in small amounts over a longer period of time as this can Species covers 50m2 (550 make the plants less like “aphid magnets”. You will find ft2) that some plants are more prone to certain pests, from your Lacewings Most Aphid 1000 eggs cover list keep an eye on Calibrachoa (we have other customers Species 18.5 to 46.5 m2 that find this is an aphid favorite and it needs to be treated (200 to 500 chemically). ft2)/week Brown Most Aphid 1/m2 (10 ft2) or Lacewing Species 100 per hotspot Know your Aphids Species: every 2 weeks. Green Peach Aphids: can be green, pink or red in color. Aphelinus Potato and 0.5-2/m2 (0.5- The cornicles (2 “tall pipes” that stick out the back of the abdominalis Foxglove aphids 2/10ft2) insect) are green and slightly swollen at tip. This is the most Aphidoletes Green peach, 250 Aphidoletes common species, watch for this one on peppers. aphidimyza melon/cotton, per 500m2 (5500 potato and ft2) Melon/Cotton Aphids: can be brown to dark green with foxglove aphids black cornicles. Watch for this on peppers and cucumbers. Aphidius melon/cotton 0.5 to 1 /m2. (10 This very common aphid species in greenhouses. colemani aphids ft2)/week Aphidius Green peach, 0.5 to 1/m2 (10 Potato Aphids: a long legged and spindle-shaped aphid matricariae same ft2)/week with black cornicles. These can be found on tomatoes and melon/cotton peppers. Not as common, but a few greenhouses are seeing aphids them. Aphidius ervi Potato and 0.5-1 Aphidius/m² foxglove aphids (10ft2)/week Foxglove Aphids: can be whitish green to green body with a dark green spot at base of cornicles. These can be seen on tomatoes, peppers and many other annual crops. Many thanks to Applied Bionomics for these recommendations.

Looking for Prevention? Aphid preventative program, use Aphidoletes aphidimyza. You should release 250 Aphidoletes per 5500 ft2/500m2 every week. If the aphid population begins to rise, we can introduce other beneficials depending on the aphid species.

Bug Bites: Tips on Aphid Control To improve the cool season performance of Aphidoletes, the addition of LED Christmas light (green range) will significantly increase the effectiveness. With these lights, Aphidoletes are able to control Green Peach aphids and then move on to other species like Foxglove.