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Bugs for Bugs Cryptolaemus montrouzieri
Bugs for Bugs Cryptolaemus montrouzieri offers an Australian native ladybird for managing mealybugs and selected soft scale insects. Both the beetles and their larvae feed on these pests, with a choice of life stage to suit how the infestation is distributed. Adults are strong fliers that search through the crop, while larvae can be placed directly into pest hotspots where feeding is needed.
The two life stages look very different. Adults have an orange head and dark wing covers; larvae are covered in waxy filaments and can easily be mistaken for mealybugs. Adult females lay eggs into mealybug egg masses, placing their offspring near a food source. Adults and larvae eat eggs and young pest stages, and larger larvae can also consume adult mealybugs. Recognising those waxy predator larvae is an important part of monitoring an established population.
Cryptolaemus is used in orchards, field crops, glasshouses and indoor atria. Introductions work best at the first signs of pest activity, before colonies have become extensive. For a concentrated problem, larvae arrive on feeding strips that can be placed close to the infestation; adults can disperse through a wider treated area. Green lacewings complement it within a broader mealybug programme. Ants, dust, wind and disruptive lighting can all affect how readily the beetles establish.
Expect to follow progress rather than judge the result by how many adults remain visible. Flying beetles may quickly become difficult to find, and their offspring take time to develop. Regularly inspect pest colonies for feeding larvae and changes in pest pressure, taking care not to remove the beneficial larvae by mistake. Sleeve cages can help establish a breeding population. Where pesticides have been used, check their residual effects before release; a spray that leaves the foliage looking clean can still prevent the predators from settling in.
NOTE: These are living insects with a short shelf life, so we don't hold them in store. Your order ships fresh, direct from the breeder.
Species image credits: Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant, 1853.png - Udo Schmidt (URSchmidt); CC BY-SA 4.0; source; CC BY-SA 4.0. Background removed and resized. Cryptolaemus montrouzieri InsectImages 1475022.jpg - Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org; CC BY 3.0 us; source; CC BY 3.0 us. Cropped to square above the image-number strip and resized.
Australia's own mealybug-hunting ladybird, as adults or hungry larvae!
Searches The Crop
Flying adults find scattered colonies of prey
Treats Pest Hotspots
Larvae can be placed beside active infestations
Targets Multiple Stages
Adults and larvae feed on developing pests
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Bugs for Bugs Cryptolaemus montrouzieri
Key Highlights
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Key Highlights
- Australian native predatory ladybird
- Choice of larvae or adult beetles
- Targets mealybugs and selected soft scales
- Suitable for orchards, glasshouses and indoor atria
- Larvae supplied on food-bearing paper strips
Directions for Use
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Directions for Use
Application Rate
- Protected crops using adult beetles: 1 - 5 beetles per 10 m² per release; make 2 - 3 releases at 3 - 6 week intervals.
- Orchards and field crops using adult beetles: at least 1,000 beetles per hectare per release, repeated as required at 2 - 3 week intervals.
- Hotspot treatment using larvae: 10 - 50 larvae per m² per release, repeated as required at 1 - 2 week intervals.
Application
- Introduce at the first sign of mealybugs or suitable soft scales.
- Release the larvae or beetles onto foliage near pest infestations.
- Monitor regularly for feeding larvae, which resemble mealybugs, and make additional releases for heavy infestations.
- Larvae: place the supplied feeding strips directly onto foliage near pest infestations, then tap any larvae left in the tube onto foliage.
- Adult beetles: gently tap the beetles from the container onto foliage near pest infestations.
- Rates are guides; heavy infestations may need additional releases.
- Reduce disruptive ants, wind and dust; sleeve cages can help adults establish locally.
- Avoid releasing near bright lights that draw adults away from the crop; in brightly lit interiors, release after hours where practical.
Safety
Check prior chemical applications and side-effects. Allow at least 4 weeks after organophosphate, carbamate or synthetic pyrethroid insecticides.
Prevent pesticide drift. Some insect growth regulators are harmful to these predatory beetles.
Release promptly. If adverse weather prevents release, keep the insects for a couple of days in a dark room at about 10 - 18 °C. Store larval tubes on their side and provide extra honey under adult container lids.
Beneficial Profile
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- Scientific Name: Cryptolaemus montrouzieri
- Beneficial Type: Predatory Beetles
- Target Pests: Citrus mealybug; Obscure mealybug; Citrophilus mealybug; Black scale; Pulvinaria scale; Cottony cushion scale
- Available Life Stages: Larvae or adult beetles
- Crop Temperature: Active at 16 - 33 °C; best around 25 - 28 °C
- Suitable Environments: Orchards, glasshouses and indoor atria
50 Larvae
- Product Code: CM-1
100 Adult Beetles
- Product Code: CM-3
200 Larvae
- Product Code: CM-2
Resources
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Resources
Shipping & Returns
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Shipping & Returns
Check delivery options for the currently selected item and quantity.
Estimate is for this item and quantity only. Final whole-order freight is confirmed at checkout.
We have a 30-day return policy, which means you have 30 days after receiving your item to request a return.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the same condition that you received it, unused, with tags, and in its original packaging. You’ll also need the receipt or proof of purchase.
To start a return, you can contact us at info@hydrooasis.com.au
If your return is accepted, we’ll send you a return shipping label, as well as instructions on how and where to send your package. Items sent back to us without first requesting a return will not be accepted.
You can always contact us for any return question at info@hydrooasis.com.au.
Size: 100 Adult Beetles
