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Common Name: Green lacewing
Order: Neuroptera
Family: Chrysopidae
Pest Status: Green lacewings are very beneficial insect predators
and are often propagated by organic landscapers and gardeners.
They should always be conserved when possible.
Appearance: Adults are soft-bodied insects with four membranous
wings, golden eyes, and green bodies.
Life Cycle: Females lay their eggs on silken stalks attached to
plant tissues. The eggs hatch about four days after being laid and
the larvae develop through three instars before pupating.
Pupation occurs in loosely woven cocoons that are attached to
plants or under loose bark. All stages of lacewings can overwinter.
Where to Collect: Green lacewings are generalist predators and
are commonly found in agricultural, landscape, and garden habitats.
Adults often fly at night and are seen when drawn to lights.
Photo Credit: John Obermeyer, Purdue University
Common Name: Ground beetle
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Carabidae
Photo Credit: John Obermeyer, Purdue University
Pest Status: Ground beetles are very common and are often
mistaken as pests. In truth, these are predators on other potential
pests that occur in or on the soil.
Appearance: Although there is some variation in body shape and
coloring, most ground beetles are shiny, black, and have ridged
wing covers. They range from ½- to 1½-inches long, are somewhat
flattened, and have narrow heads.
Life Cycle: Females lay their eggs in the soil. After hatching, the
larvae feed and grow for one to two years and pupate in small
chambers made of soil. Many species spend the winter in these
chambers and the adults emerge in the spring.
Where to Collect: Ground beetles normally live outdoors under
stones, logs and boards. They can be attracted to light and occasionally
crawl into houses through cracks in windows and doors.
Common Name: Gypsy moth
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lymantriidae
Pest Status: Gypsy moths have killed thousands of acres of
hardwood forests throughout the Northeast and into the Midwest.
Appearance: Gypsy moths have wings with variable patterns or
black spots and bands. Male have brown functional wings and
feathery antennae. Females are cream-colored, have thread-like
antennae and cannot fly.
Life Cycle: Caterpillars prefer oaks, but may feed on several
hundred different species of trees. Female moths lay egg masses
indiscriminately on trees, houses, and other structures in late
summer. Often campers unknowingly spread this pest when egg
masses are attached to recreational vehicles. Gypsy moths survive
the winter in the egg stage and hatch in the spring when
temperatures are above 60ºF. Eggs are laid in mid- to late-summer.
Where to Collect: Gypsy moths are easily found in infested forests.
Photo Credit: John Obermeyer, Purdue University