Beneficial Insects use em?

 


  We have a few that live here.  The ladybug is common. Ant lions like
it near our house on the south side where they lie in wait for ants to
tumble in to their large jaws. They then turn into Green Lacewings and
travel about munching insects in time.
 I used to gather praying mantis cases at a nearby large field but it
now has houses and a large lawn.  Just ordered two cases don't ask how
much :((
  Bill

--
   Bill   Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA
<http://www.globalissues.org/article/75/world-military-spending>
<http://myloc.gov/Exhibitions/voicesfromafghanistan/Pages/Default.aspx>

 

On 3/18/10 8:57 AM, Bill who putters wrote:

With one exception, I don't artificially introduce beneficial insects.
After paying for them, too often they fly away to my neighbors.  I do
see swarms of lady bugs arrive naturally, often before I even notice
aphids.

The one exception is that I set out carnivorous decollate snails, which
eat the eggs and young of brown snails.  These are legal only in certain
areas (fortunately including where I live).  See
<http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r107500111.html> .

--
David E. Ross
Climate:  California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at <http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary>

 

Bill who putters wrote:

Not all ladybugs are beneficial.  Some are carnivores and hunt insects.
Some are herbivores and hunt plants you might want to keep.  It pays to know
the species that are found in your area and deal with them accordingly.

David

 



 I heard something about this some where.  Seems some NEW lady bugs are
not desirable .  

Id hazard a guess it is the Asian lady bugs.

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=ladybugs&ie=UTF-8&oe=
UTF-8
 Read about your snail killers but wonder why not permitted in some
locals.  

All mine are locals that I try to protect.  The purchase of  Mantis new
to me but the locals seem to have died out due to habitat  loss. They
seem to like what I'd call good pheasant cover.  Weeds about 2 to 3 foot
high.

--
   Bill   Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA
<http://www.globalissues.org/article/75/world-military-spending>
<http://myloc.gov/Exhibitions/voicesfromafghanistan/Pages/Default.aspx>

 

Bill who putters wrote:

The one I was thinking of is the 28 spot ladybird:

http://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Twenty-Eight-Spot-Ladybird/Henosepilachna/vigintioctopunctata.html

Although there are some similar species of the same genus that eat plants.

Possibly it is not found in North America and Europe, one reference suggests
the range is India, Pakistan, China, Japan, SE Asia and Oceania.

David