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Beneficial Insects R-Z

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This page concludes our list of beneficial insects that you'll find in your gardens and fields, or that can be introduced to keep bad bugs under control.

Beneficial Insects A-C | Beneficial Insects D-L | Beneficial Insects M-P


Beneficial Insects R-Z

robber fly, Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.orgRobber Fly

  • Larvae prey on other insect larvae as they grow up in the soil or damp wood

  • Adults feed on grasshoppers, leafhoppers, wasps, dragonflies, beetles, bees, other flies, and many other insects

  • Sizes are about 3/8 to 1 1/8 inch

  • They are hairy bodied with a long tapering abdomen that are segmented, are usually gray to black

  • Their legs are strong, make for easy grabbing of their prey

rove beetles, Joseph Berger, Bugwood.orgRove Beetle

  • Feed mainly on aphids, mites, nematodes, slugs, snails and flies

  • Range in size from 1/10 to 1 inch

  • These black or brown beetles have wings that are short

  • They also aid in the breakdown of organic matter

soldier beetle, Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.orgSoldier Beetle

  • These beetles feed on cucumber beetles, aphids, caterpillars, grasshopper eggs and other insects and their eggs

  • Soldier beetles are a slender, elongated, relatively flat insects

  • Range from 1/3 to 1/2 inches long

  • Some species will have bright colors or markings in their back but mainly brown to black in color

  • Larvae are flat with a velvety appearance

Spined Soldier BugSpined Solider Bug

  • Above feeding on Mexican bean beetle larvae

  • Are sometimes confused with stink bugs which are real garden pests

  • These bugs feed on pest varieties of caterpillars and beetle larvae

  • They are usually about 1/2 inch long

SpiderSpider

  • All spiders eat insects

  • Some weave webs and some don't to catch their prey

  • In North America, only the Brown Recluse and Black Widow are considered harmful to man

SpiderSyrphid Fly

  • The adults are excellent pollinators, while the larvae prey on aphids and insect pests.

  • They look like bees (yellow and black), but are flies.

  • They are also known as the hover fly and the flower fly.

tachinid fly, Jessica Lawrence, NC State Entomology Department, Bugwood.orgTachnid Fly

  • Look like house flies and are 1/3 to 1/2 inch long.

  • They may be brown, gray or black in color.

  • They are predators of pest caterpillars including cutworms, codling moths, tent caterpillars, cabbage loopers and gypsy moth larvae.

Trichogramma Wasp

  • With a wingspan of 1/50th of an inch, is among smallest of insects.

  • A favorite to use around crops like cotton, corn, tomatoes, avocados, walnuts, pecans, apples and alfalfa.

  • They go after the larval stages of both moths and butterflies, which eat plant foliage.


wheel bug, Joseph Berger, Bugwood.orgWheel Bug

  • The wheel bug has characteristic dorsal armor, shaped like a wheel or cog.

  • They are predators upon soft-bodied insects such as caterpillars, japanese beetles, etc., which they pierce with their beak in order to inject salivary fluids that dissolve soft tissue.

  • Wheel bugs are common in eastern North America.


Whitefly Predatory Beetle

  • Used in only high populations of whiteflies

  • A beetle in development for whitefly control

yellow jacket,  Susan Ellis, , Bugwood.orgYellow Jacket

  • They are beneficial as a predator of caterpillars, flies and beetle grubs

  • Adult yellow jackets are about 1/2 to 3/4 inch in length

  • Their sting is feared for good reason because of allergic reactions

Beneficial Insects A-C | Beneficial Insects D-L | Beneficial Insects M-P

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