. Beneficial insects and mites. Mites; Pests; Insects. or not these approaches help to keep lady beetles near the site of release is not clear. The Mealybug Destroyer, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri The mealybug destroyer is an Australian lady beetle. The adult is a small (about 4 mm), round, black beetle with an orange pronotum and orange wing tips. The larva is covered with a shaggy, white, waxy material, and resembles its mealybug hosts when small (Figure 4). As its common name implies, the mealybug destroyer feeds on all species of above-ground mealybugs including the citrus mealybug (Planococc
. Beneficial insects and mites. Mites; Pests; Insects. or not these approaches help to keep lady beetles near the site of release is not clear. The Mealybug Destroyer, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri The mealybug destroyer is an Australian lady beetle. The adult is a small (about 4 mm), round, black beetle with an orange pronotum and orange wing tips. The larva is covered with a shaggy, white, waxy material, and resembles its mealybug hosts when small (Figure 4). As its common name implies, the mealybug destroyer feeds on all species of above-ground mealybugs including the citrus mealybug (Planococcus citri), which is a serious pest of ornamental plants in greenhouses and interior plantscapes. If mealybugs are not available, the mealybug destroyer may feed on aphids and imma- ture scale insects. Both larvae and adults are predaceous. Adult mealybug destroyers lay several hundred eggs, depositing them singly in mealybug egg masses. Each beetle larva may consume more than 250 immature mealybugs in the course of its devel- opment. The mealybug destroyer requires high mealybug populations and optimum environmental conditions in order to reproduce and is most effec- tive when used for quick reductions of heavy mealybug infestations. Development and reproduction of the mealybug destroyer occur most rapidly at temperatures between 22° and 25°C (72° and 77°F), and relative humidities of 70-80%. Temperatures below 20°C (68°F) and short days slow the reproductive rate of this predator but do not have as much effect on mealybug reproductive rates. As a result, the mealybug destroyer is often unable to control mealybug infestations during winter months in greenhouses or other facilities where temperature and daylength are Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Henn, Tess; Weinzierl, Rick;
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Keywords: ., bookauthorillinoisnaturalhi, bookcentury1900, booksubjectinsects
