Green Lacewing
Delicate pale-green insects with lace-veined wings and golden eyes. The larvae - called aphid lions - are fierce predators; adults feed on nectar and pollen.
Why you want them
Lacewing larvae are among the most effective generalist predators in the garden. A single larva can consume 200 or more aphids per week and will also take thrips, whitefly, spider mites, and small caterpillars. Unlike many specialist predators, they adapt to whatever soft-bodied pest is most abundant, making them highly valuable in mixed plantings. Adults are delicate and feed only on nectar and pollen, reinforcing the value of companion flowering plants.
Helps control
How to attract them
- Dill
- Fennel
- Coriander
- Buckwheat
- Sweet alyssum
- Cosmos
Preferred habitat
Found on plants with pest infestations. Adults overwinter as adults in dense vegetation, bark crevices, and log piles. Lacewing boxes can provide additional overwintering sites.
What harms them
Broad-spectrum insecticides, loss of diverse plantings that support adult feeding, and lack of overwintering shelter.
Related pest guides
Garden, by Willowbottom works with nature, not against it. Support your garden allies and they will do most of the hard work for you.