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BENEFICIAL INSECTS



Brachymeria wasps (4 mm) eat LBAM pupae
Brachymeria wasps (4 mm) eat LBAM pupae
Photo credit: DPI Vic, Knoxfield
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  • Eat and effectively control many insect pests in Australasian vineyards
  • Predators eat other insects and mites. Common predators are lacewings, ladybirds, mites, shield bugs, praying mantis, and many spiders.
  • Parasites live on or in other insects, eventually killing them. The most common parasites are wasps, including Trichogramma.
  • Some insects are both beneficial and pest. They feed on other insects for part of their life but on leaves or bunches at other times e.g. European wasp, katydids and earwigs.

OTHER BENEFICIAL INSECTS IMAGES

Trichogramma wasp larvae grows inside LBAM eggs, turning the eggs black. Tiny adult wasps will emerge from the eggs instead of LBAM caterpillars Adult Trichogramma wasp Maggots of Voriella flies (1 mm) grow on the outside of and kill LBAM caterpillars The Dolichogenidea wasp (4 mm) parasitises LBAM caterpillars. Look for their white cocoons in LBAM leafrolls This mealybug (4-5 mm) is swollen because it contains a wasp pupae Adult Anagyrus wasp (3 mm) Lacewing larvae, or 'junk bugs', (up to 6 mm) eat many insects and carry scraps of their last meal on their backs Some mites feed on a wide range of pest mites. Predatory mites include Amblyseius 'Victoria' and Typhlodromus 'Doreen', (shown squabbling over prey), and some Phytoseiulus Some mites feed on a wide range of pest mites. Predatory mites include Amblyseius 'Victoria' and Typhlodromus 'Doreen', (shown squabbling over prey), and some Phytoseiulus Cryptoleamus ladybirds (5 mm) eat hundreds of mealybugs in their lifetime Very young ladybirds look similar to mealybugs Green lacewing adult (12 mm) Green lacewing eggs (1 mm) Wasps parasitise and kill vine scale Predatory shield bugs feed on LBAM and grapevine moth caterpillars Spiders are a main predator of LBAM caterpillars Webbing spiders are usually harmless Spider webs, as in this Emperor bunch, cause losses in tablegrapes Hoverfly adults (6-8 mm) look like honey bees Hoverfly larvae eat soft bodied insects European wasp (left) and bees (right) look similar. European wasp is both a predator and a pest that feeds on ripe grapes. It can give a painful bite Some young katydids eat soft-bodied insects Close up view of a katydid Redback spider can disrupt export shipments European earwigs eat LBAM caterpillars and vine leaves

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