The green lacewing larvae are well known in the natural gardening world as an enemy to aphids, mites, other plant destroying soft-bodied bugs and insect eggs.
The female adult lacewing will lay up to 800 eggs in her lifetime, depositing them on the underside of plant leaves where harmful aphid colonies are often found.
The eggs which are green in color will turn grey once they are ready to hatch after a few days. The emerging larva which resembles a tiny alligator can grow up to ⅜ in inches.
After hatching, the larva begins searching for prey, often consuming more than 200 aphids and other prey in a week's time frame.
They attack their enemy by injecting them with a paralyzing venom and sucking out the body fluids of the pest. The predator larvae will continue feeding for two to three weeks until their final developmental stage where they will spin a cocoon and emerge as a full-grown adult.
In about 5 days the adult lacewing will leave the cocoon to reproduce, feeding only on nectar, honeydew, and pollen during their four to six-week lifespan.
Lacewing larvae are harmless to both humans and animals, making them the perfect solution for gardens and greenhouses.
.
