Brush up on good bugs

Beneficial insects and mites may already be in your orchard working to reduce populations of pests. But did you know many are also commercially available in Australia?

If you can identify the beneficials in your orchard you may then be able to make more informed decisions and avoid accidentally wiping out a beneficial insect population that was helping control your pests.

Tasman’s Lacewing larva feeding on an aphid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Australasian Biological Control Association Inc (ABC) aims to further the knowledge of beneficial insects and mites and the role they play in pest management systems. Visit their website www.goodbugs.org.au to view detailed information on ‘good bugs’ and their suppliers. ABC also publishes a book ‘The Good Bug Book’ which is available from suppliers, with some entries from the book are also published on the website.

Australiasian Biological control (www.goodbugs.com.au) webpage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below is a selection of beneficial insects and mites relevant to the apple and pear industry:

Chilean Predatory Mite

 Victorian Predatory Mite

 Western Predatory Mite and Predatory Mite

 Spined Predatory Shield Bug

 Green Lacewing

 Tasman’s Lacewing (or Brown Lacewing)

 Hover Fly

 Mite-eating Ladybirds and Plague Soldier Beetle

 Common Spotted Ladybird and Transverse Ladybird

 Mealybug Ladybird

 Braconid Wasps and Telenomus Wasps

 Tetracnemoid Parasite

 Trichogramma Wasps

 Woolly Aphid Parasite

 

Reviewed by Stephen Quarrell (UTAS) and David Williams (Agriculture Victoria)

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