Green Lacewing Larvae

Green lacewing larvae are what you reach for when the aphids are already there. They ship as incubated eggs, timed to hatch about 24 hours after they arrive — so instead of waiting on a fresh egg stage, you get larvae right at the point they emerge hungry and start hunting. The nickname "aphid lion" is earned: aphids are what these larvae are built to clear, and they'll work leaf by leaf through an active population. The condition worth knowing is plant size. The field trials that put numbers on this got real reduction on small, open plants at rate — and none on large plants under cover, or on trees. On a big established specimen, expect help rather than a clearance. They'll opportunistically pick at other soft-bodied pests they bump into — thrips, mealybug crawlers, spider mites, whitefly — but don't buy them for those. They're not a reliable treatment for anything but aphids; for the others you want the specialist. This is the pick for active aphid outbreaks and hot spots on high-value plants — when you want the problem handled now, not weeks out.

You may never see an adult lacewing, and that is how it is supposed to go.

Everything you are buying happens in the larval stage. The larva is the predator — it hunts for about two to three weeks, then spins a cocoon and pupates. What emerges is a different creature with a different diet: green lacewing adults are not predators at all. They feed on pollen, nectar and honeydew. Most leave to find flowers and are never seen again.

So judge this on what happens to the aphids while the larvae are working, not on whether you ever spot a pale green insect with lace wings. If you want the cycle to continue, the adults need flowers nearby to feed on and somewhere to lay — otherwise each release is one wave of larvae, and the next wave has to come from you.

• Common Name: Green Lacewing Larvae (aphid lions)
• Target: Aphids. That's the job. Other soft-bodied pests may get eaten incidentally, but lacewing larvae are not a dependable treatment for thrips, mealybug crawlers, spider mites, or whitefly — use the specialist for those.
• Format: Incubated eggs in a protective carrier material, timed to hatch about 24 hours after delivery.
• Best For: Curative treatment of active aphid outbreaks and hot-spot cleanup on small to mid-sized plants. On a large specimen they help rather than clear.
• Key Advantage: Timed to hatch on arrival. The eggs are pre-incubated, so larvae emerge and start feeding about a day in — no long wait for a fresh egg stage.