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WTB Down Under?What seem to be larvae
Thought these were neat looking and wondered if you knew what they might be. Seen a few of them around our doorstep
Jenna
Hi Jenna,
This is the larva of a type of Ladybird Beetle known as the Mealybug Destroyer, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri. According to BugGuide, it was “Imported to the US from Australia in 1891 to control citrus mealybugs in California. Widely used for control of citrus and long-tailed mealybugs, soft scales and related pests. Will not survive cold winters, so it is mostly used in greenhouses or mild-winter areas, or has to be introduced annually.”
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Comments 1
I had never seen one of these until the other day at work, I was sitting outside on break and noticed little white specks falling from the trees. The specks were these guys, hundreds of them! Now that I know more about them, I wonder how much time the trees have left to live…
Posted 14 Jun 2009 at 9:35 am ¶Post a Comment
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