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Cryptolaemus Ladybird

Cryptolaemuslarvae-469-710
Larvae of Cryptolaemus have a mealy bug like appearance
btn order   Cryptolaemus montrouzieri – Mealybug LadybirdDusky.pdf

The Cryptolaemus Ladybird is a predatory ladybird. It is primarily a mealybug and scale predator, however it will also predate on a variety of alternative prey, including psyllids and aphids. 

The Cryptolaemus Ladybird appears to survive and breed all year in New Zealand. Several generations will occur within one year.

In New Zealand we call them ladybirds, much the same as the British do, however in other parts of the world they are known as ladybugs.
 

The Pest – Mealybugs

Many different species of mealybugs and scale are present in New Zealand, and not all species are necessarily suitable prey for the Cryptolaemus Ladybird. Some mealybug and scale species are quite specific to particular crops, while other species infest a wide range of crops.

Mealybugs are soft-bodied insects that have oval bodies with a waxy coating, males and females have separate lifecycles. Female adult body length is normally 2-3 mm. The mealybugs tend to live in sheltered locations such as pushing up against the veins of plants. During the summer all life stages are found on leaves and fruit, however when the weather becomes colder, they relocate to more sheltered places such as under bark where they continue to reproduce

Three to four generations of mealybugs will typically occur in one year, varying according to seasonal factors and locality. 

Symptoms and signs of mealybugs include:

  • Stunting and distortion of the leaves and flowers
  • Yellowing and wilting of leaves
  • Honey dew and sooty mould present on the plants
  • Mealbugs visible on the stem, leaves and flower buds

The Solution – Cryptolaemus Ladybird

The Cryptolaemus Ladybird is a predatory ladybird of about 6mm in length, commonly recognised with the black body and red head.

Adults and larvae are mealybug and scale predators, feeding on all of the pest life stages.

The Cryptolaemus Ladybird undergoes an egg and larval stages before pupating and emerging as an adult. Development time from egg to adult takes around 40 days at 25⁰C, and longer at lower temperatures. Adults live for approximately 50 days and in this time lay up to 400 eggs.

Eggs are tiny and laid singly around areas of higher prey density.
 

Table of Cryptolaemus prey with host association index (0 to 10, where 10 is highly associated) from the Landcare Plant-SyNZ database (15 July 2017)

Scientific Name

Common Name

Index

Bactericera cockerelli

Tomato potato psyllid

5

Balanococcus diminutus

New Zealand flax mealybug

10

Coccus hesperidum Linnaeus

Brown soft scale

10

Coelostomidia zealandica

Great giant scale

5

Dysmicoccus ambiguus

 

9

Eriococcus araucariae Maskell

Felted pine scale

10

Eriococcus pallidus Maskell

Karo felted scale

10

Nipaecoccus aurilanatus

Golden mealybug

10

Paracoccus glaucus

Long egg-sac mealybug

10

Paraferrisia podocarpi

Kahikatea mealybug

10

Parasaissetia nigra

Nigra scale

9

Pseudococcus calceolariae

Citrophilous mealybug

10

Pseudococcus longispinus

Long-tailed mealybug

10

Pulvinaria mesembryanthemi

Iceplant scale

10

Saissetia oleae

Black scale

10


Our ladybirds are reared in our insectary, we do not collect ladybirds from the wild (for sale) as is practised in other parts of the world.
 

Price

PRICE: $15.00 per 10 adults (minimum order) plus GST and Freight