Lexi Webster
Aphids are tiny insects that can wreak havoc on plants and crops, transmitting viruses and causing physical damage to fruits and vegetables. They are a common pest in gardens and on farms, especially in Australia, where they can take advantage of the warm and humid climate to rapidly reproduce. Luckily, there are several natural predators that can help control aphid populations, including ladybugs, lacewings, hover flies, and even small wasps. Providing an environment that encourages these predators can help prevent aphid infestations before they become problematic.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Natural predators | Ladybirds, lacewings, hover flies, wasps, earwigs, birds |
| Human intervention | Hosing them off, squashing them, insecticides |
| Appearance | 1-4mm long, bulbous abdomen, green, black, red, brown, grey, yellow |
| Behaviour | Feed on plant juices, transmit viruses, excrete honeydew |
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What You'll Learn
Ladybirds and their larvae
Ladybirds, also known as ladybird beetles, are voracious eaters of soft-bodied pests like aphids. They are native Australian insects that can be purchased and released into gardens to control aphid populations. Ladybirds are effective in this role because they are aphid predators, consuming hundreds of aphids in their lifetime. Both adult ladybirds and their larvae feed on aphids, but the bulk of the predation is done by the larvae.
Ladybird larvae have grey or black elongated bodies with orange markings and may be covered in spines or white fluffy wax material. They look very different from adult ladybirds, which are round to oval-shaped with black spots on red, orange, or yellow shells. Ladybird larvae can be purchased in packs of 150 eggs, which should be released into plant foliage near aphid infestations. It may take one to two weeks before the larvae can be observed feeding on the aphids.
Ladybirds need suitable habitats to thrive. They require food, shelter, and places to lay their eggs. Leaf piles can provide both food and shelter, and dense shrubbery with lots of leaves will give them a place to lay their eggs. Ladybirds also need water, although they can get most of the water they need from their food sources. Pesticides can be detrimental to ladybird populations, especially systemic non-targeted chemicals.
Ladybirds are an excellent natural form of pest control. They are beneficial to the biodiversity and health of landscapes and gardens, contributing to a balanced and vibrant ecosystem.
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Lacewings
Lacewing larvae are the most beneficial stage of the lacewing life cycle for gardeners. They are tiny, grey-brown in colour, and have a distinctive appearance that has been likened to an alligator. They have protruding sickle-shaped mouthparts, which they use to pierce their prey and suck out the body fluids, leaving a husk behind. They then carry the exoskeletons of their victims on their backs to act as camouflage as they hunt their next meal. Lacewing larvae are voracious feeders and will eat anything they can catch, including aphids, caterpillars, mealybugs, spider mites, leafhopper nymphs, moth eggs, scale, thrips, and whiteflies. They can devour up to 60 aphids an hour and can quickly knock down moderate levels of aphid infestations.
After about 1-3 weeks, the larvae become adults, which feed mostly on nectar, pollen, and honeydew. Adult brown lacewings will also consume small insects or eggs if given the opportunity. Adult green lacewings are soft-bodied insects with four membranous wings, golden eyes, and green bodies. They are nocturnal and attracted to light, and are most active in warmer climates. In most cases, they live for just three to four weeks in their adult stage.
To attract lacewings to your garden, it is recommended to eliminate or minimise the use of pesticides and other chemicals, as many of these are toxic to lacewings and can prevent them from establishing. It is also beneficial to provide companion plants that increase the availability of nectar and pollen to support multiple generations of lacewings.
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European earwigs
While European earwigs can be beneficial in controlling aphids, they are also considered an invasive species in Australia. Their population growth is driven by human-influenced environments, such as cropping practices, and there are limited control options available, especially in broadacre crops. Soil tillage may help suppress their numbers and disrupt breeding sites.
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Blue wrens and other insectivorous birds
Blue wrens are voracious feeders on aphids. They are not the only insectivorous birds that feed on aphids, though. In fact, many birds prefer to snack on bugs, especially in summer. To attract these birds to your garden, it is a good idea to provide food and hiding places for them.
Wrens, for example, do not usually visit feeders. Instead, they prefer to eat insects. In winter, when insects are less readily available, wrens' diet preferences change. They are more likely to visit feeders and will sometimes eat suet and chopped peanuts.
Other insectivorous birds that eat aphids include the Australian Magpie, which is mostly ground-dwelling and feeds on insects and their larvae, earthworms, and freshwater invertebrates. The Magpie lives in groups of up to 24 birds year-round and is found wherever there is a combination of trees and adjacent open areas, including parks and playing fields.
The Laughing Kookaburra is another insectivorous bird found in Australia that feeds on insects, worms, and crustaceans, although its diet can also include small snakes, mammals, frogs, and other birds. The Laughing Kookaburra can be found in eastern Australia, Tasmania, the extreme southwest of Western Australia, and New Zealand. In the central north and northwest of Australia, it is replaced by the Blue-winged Kookaburra, which also feeds on insects.
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Small predatory wasps
The most common small predatory wasps belong to the genera Aphidius, Aphelinus, Diaeretiella, Lysiphlebus, and Trioxys. Each of these parasitoid species may attack a single species or multiple species of aphids. For example, Lysiphlebus testaceipes targets corn, oat, and cowpea aphids, while Aphidius colemani, a cosmopolitan species, is effective against cotton, green peach, and other aphid types.
The female parasitoid wasps play a crucial role in aphid control by laying their eggs into the bodies of live aphids. The developing wasp larvae then feed on the aphid's body fluids, eventually killing the host. This process results in the formation of "aphid mummies," which are swollen, bronze-brown aphids stuck to the plant. The adult wasps emerge from these mummies, leaving behind an exit hole.
One notable species of small predatory wasp is Aphidius matricariae, a 3 mm long black wasp from Europe. This wasp is highly effective in controlling green peach aphids, with females laying 50-150 eggs in aphid nymphs. Within 7-10 days, the aphids turn into light brown to silvery-gold mummies. Another effective species is Aphelinus abdominalis, which attacks over 200 species of aphids, primarily targeting larger aphids such as the foxglove, potato aphid, and green peach aphid.
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Frequently asked questions
Ladybird beetles, lacewings, and hover flies are all natural predators of aphids. Small predatory wasps (Aphidus colemani) also eat aphids by laying their eggs inside live aphids.
Ladybird beetles, or ladybugs, undergo a significant transformation as they mature. As larvae, they have grey/black bodies with orange markings and may be covered in spines or white fluffy wax material. In this stage, they are voracious aphid predators. As adults, they are round to oval-shaped and have black spots on red, orange, or yellow shells.
Both larvae and adult brown lacewings are predatory, while only the larvae of green lacewings are. After sucking the internal contents of their prey, lacewing larvae impale their victim’s exoskeletons on their backs. Brown lacewing larvae can eat 100-200 aphids during their lifetime.
To attract these insects, you can plant alyssum, balm of Gilead, calendula, catmint, chives, coriander, cosmos, dill, elder, fennel, garlic chives, hyssop, lemon ironwood, lavender, lucerne, marjoram, marigolds, melaleucas, mints, mustards, onions, oregano, parsnips, phacelia, queen anne’s lace, rosemary, savory, tansy, thyme, turnips, and yarrow. You can also provide food and hiding places for insect-eating birds such as blue wrens, which feed on aphids.
