Author: weacol19

Landscape Diversity Enhances Biological Control of an Introduced Crop Pest in the North-Central USA

This article looks at soybeans, examining whether or not landscape diversity enhances the amount of biological control agents, such as Coccinellid beetles.  They chose to look at Aphis glycines, commonly known as the soybean aphid.

Continue reading Landscape Diversity’s Effect on Generalist Predators and Soybean Aphids

As I’ve mentioned before, lacewings may have complex preferences on the prey they eat, even if they are generalists.  These preferences would be extremely useful to take note of – if you are trying to control a specific taxa of pest, it’s important to know which species of predator will not only eat them, but do so with focused effort.

This article observes the prey preferences of 3rd instar Chrysoperla carnea between two common pest species: lettuce aphids (Nasonovia ribisnigri) and western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis).

Continue reading Chrysoperla carnea’s Prey Preferences on Lettuce Aphids and Western Flower Thrips

Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) represent a major crop pest within agricultural systems.  Green lacewings offer a promising option for biological control against thrips, and this article observes the dynamics of Chrysoperla externa‘s predation of Enneothrips flavens, one species of thrip.

Continue reading Dynamics and Predation Efficiency of Chrysoperla Externa on Enneothrips Flavens

Extrafloral Nectar Consumption and Its Influence on Survival and Development of an Omnivorous Predator, Larval Chrysoperla plorabunda (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

This article discusses the role of extrafloral nectaries on the life cycle of Chrysoperla plorabunda, a common generalist predator.  Ideally it could be a potential predator of the cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii.  The article notes that although natural densities of lacewing eggs are high in cotton fields, biological control is usually somewhat poor, with larval stages appearing to be rare.  Apparently, lacewing larvae are subject to predation from many hemipteran predators.  Typically low larvae populations are associated with food scarcity.  This article observes how lacewing larvae are influenced by extrafloral nectaries.

Continue reading Extrafloral Nectar Consumption by Lacewing Larvae (C. plorabunda)

Occurrence of green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) in two coffee cropping systems

This study aimed to explore the diversity of lacewings in two coffee (Coffea arabica L.) systems.  They were observed in unshaded and shaded systems, in which the shaded systems are covered by silky oak trees (Grevillea robusta).  This study took place in the SW region of Bahia State, Brazil, and Chrysopidae were characterized by their “faunal indices, frequency, constanty, dominance, richness, and diversity.”

Continue reading Occurence of Green Lacewings In Two Coffee Cropping Systems

Although there is a lot of good research on Chrysopidae, there is a significant amount of missing information.  Further research could greatly improve the use of lacewings as biological control agents.

This post will cover:

• Insect Bioecology and Nutrition for IPM‘s suggestions on applied research
• My own ideas for potential lacewing research 

Continue reading Future Avenues in Lacewing Research