This Insect’s Paralyzing Saliva Makes It a Green Garden Assassin — and One You Want Around

Nicknamed “aphid wolves,” lacewings are beneficial insects with a voracious appetite for common pests. These generalist predators consume various prey in their larval and adult stages. Surprisingly, lacewings can eat hundreds of pests in a week. They are more commonly green and belong to the Chrysopidae family. 

Lacewings 101

The Chrysopidae family, commonly known as green lacewings, features a blushed green body with golden or bronze eyes at its adult stage. At its larval stage, it is said to be similar to alligators in appearance, with large, sickle-shaped mandibles that it uses to pierce prey and suck out its body fluids. These mandibles inject a paralyzing saliva that makes it easy to liquify and then consume the insides of soft-bodied prey. 

Adult lacewings can be 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. These insects are named after the intricate venation displayed on their wings. At this stage, they mostly feed on the honeydew secretions from aphids, but they are still predators that can consume soft-bodied insects. 

Lacewings typically live 37 to 60 days. To help them reach adulthood, they develop an interesting behavior that earns them another nickname: trashbags. To cover themselves from predators (mainly ants), lacewing larvae cover their bodies with the debris of plants, lichen, and even prey they have liquefied. This incredible tactic is a form of camouflage that helps them blend into their surroundings to not only avoid detection by predators but also prey. 

Bonus of Beneficials

Chemical pesticides can harm insects and the environment; therefore, utilizing alternatives is paramount. Beneficial insects, such as lacewings, present a clear option for more sustainable strategies for pest control. These insects lessen the need for potent chemical substances, and a reduction in the use of pesticides is the most important action. Pesticides that affect many pests are typically nondiscriminatory and also kill helpful insects such as lacewings. Observing the impact beneficial insects have on pest populations might be all the help needed to make the switch.

To help sustain lacewing populations (and maybe encourage more), here are a few tips/tricks:

1. Plant nectar-rich flowers: Fennel, yarrow, goldenrod, cosmos, and sweet alyssum attract adult lacewings. These plants offer nectar and pollen, which can sustain lacewings throughout the growing season.
2. Maintain habitat diversity: A mix of tall grasses, shrubs, flowering herbs, and ground cover attracts lacewings.
3. Avoid broad-spectrum insecticides: Chemicals not only injure the pests they are meant to control, but also beneficial insects. Reduced pesticide use permits natural predators to settle in, which can control pest populations in a safer way.
4. Release lacewing eggs or larvae: Online, there are kits with lacewing eggs or larvae that can be added to gardens or greenhouses. Make sure to release larvae near infested plants so there is food for the larvae to consume. This action is particularly effective in reducing aphid populations.

Lacewings are also available to be purchased online or at garden centers. As soon as larvae hatch, they begin consuming pretty much any soft-bodied insect in their path.

Whether lacewings, parasitic wasps, or even the praying mantis (which behaves in a way hard to predict), these insects perform a significant function in maintaining green spaces. By planting native species, avoiding pesticides that affect a wide range of insects, and giving more focus to the small lives buzzing around us, we can give these creatures an assist.

Because sometimes, the best pest control doesn’t come in a bottle; it has wings.