Chrysoperla carnea for Aphid Control

Chrysoperla carnea

Locally Packaged in Ontario, Canada

Target Pests

Aphid
Thrips
Spider Mite

Most Growers want to prevent production losses from aphid outbreaks, while staying within budget.

But the problem is aphids often reproduce rapidly, overwhelming many crop protection programs and damaging crops before they can be effectively controlled.

At Crop Defenders, we know how frustrating that can be. That's why we locally package Chrysoperla carnea in Ontario, Canada and provide expedited shipping or direct delivery to Growers across Canada and the United States.

Packaging Options

Larvae

10,000
1,000

Eggs

100,000

Adults

1,000

Carrier Material Options

Buckwheat hulls
No carrier

Physical Description

Adult Chrysoperla carnea, also known as Green Lacewings, are 23-30 mm (0.9-1.2 inches) long and green in colour, with a yellow-white dorsal stripe, and golden eyes. They have large, transparent finely green-veined wings. The hind-wings are slightly smaller than the fore-wings.

Chrysoperla carnea eggs are small and oval-shaped. They are pale green or white in color and are attached to the substrate by a slender stalk.
Larvae of Chrysoperla carnea are 2-10 mm (0.08-0.4 inches) long. They have large, forwardly projecting jaws and well-developed legs.
The pupae of Chrysoperla carnea are usually separate from each other, but sometimes appear in groups in areas of high aphid population density. The outer cocoon is 8 mm (0.3 inches) long and 4 mm (0.2 inches) thick.

Life Cycle

Chrysoperla carnea will complete its life cycle within 25 to 30 days at 24°C (75°F), consisting of four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

Eggs hatch after 3-6 days.
Newly hatched larvae are gray to brown, with prominent pincer-like mandibles. They are highly active and voracious predators, and develop through three instar stages over approximately 2 to 3 weeks. Each larva can consume between 100 to 600 aphids during its development.
The pupal stage lasts about 10 to 14 days, after full-size larvae spin round, silk-like cocoons in the canopy.
Adults females begin laying eggs around the 5th day after emergence, with peak egg-laying occurring between 9 to 23 days post-emergence. Females may live up to 30-60 days, while males may live for only 17-35 days.

Mode of Action

Chrysoperla carnea larvae are voracious predators that search for prey, however they are not easily observed and are mainly active at night. The larvae grasp their prey from below and lift them in their jaws, injecting the prey with a salivary fluid that digests the body contents, which are then sucked out. Chrysoperla carnea larvae can consume 300-400 aphids of various sizes during its development. When prey is scarce, the larvae can resort to cannibalism, with the older larvae eating the younger. Adults are not predators.

Target Pests

Aphids including

Potato Aphids Macrosiphum euphorbiae
Foxglove Aphids Aulacorthum solani
Green Peach Aphids Myzus persicae
Cotton-Melon Aphids Aphis gossypii
Strawberry Aphid Chaetosiphon fragaefolii
Cannabis Aphid Phorodon cannabis
Chrysanthemum Aphid Macrosiphoniella sanborni

Thrips Larvae & Adults including:

Western Flower Thrips Frankliniella occidentalis
Pepper Thrips Thrips parvispinus
Onion Thrips Thrips tabaci
Impatiens Thrips Echinothrips americanus

Whitefly Eggs & Larvae including:

Greenhouse Whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum
Silverleaf Whitefly Bemisia tabaci

Spider Mites including:

Two-Spotted Spider Mites Tetranychus urticae

Rates

Schedule a Call with our Technical Consultants for guidance on rates and strategies tailored to your crops and needs.

Ideal Greenhouse Conditions

Chrysoperla carnea is most effective at temperatures between 20-28°C (68-82°F) and 60-80% relative humidity.

Application

For eggs and larvae, shake the container gently before use to evenly distribute the predators or eggs inside.
Apply on infested leaves, and directly within aphid hotspots.
For adults, open the container in close proximity to infested plants to let them disperse.