Following the success of last year’s biological control agents, we recently deployed a mini swarm of lacewings and two species of ladybugs at Maria River Plantation. The aim is to reduce the numbers of pest insects, because some pests can cause real problems to our koalas’ trees when their populations grow unchecked.
One of the heroes is Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, an Australian native ladybird. This is an effective predator of mealybugs and soft scale insects. Used worldwide as a biological control, it has been introduced to many countries. Adults are around 4 mm long, and larvae reach up to 13 mm long. The larvae are coated in waxy filaments, often mistaken for mealybugs. Females lay up to 500 eggs within mealybug egg masses.
Both adults and larvae feed on eggs and immature stages, while larger larvae eat adults. Development takes 4–7 weeks.
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