Picture

Name

Characteristics

Benefits

Braconid Wasp

Brown, yellow or black, with clear wings, up to 1.5” in size.

Lay their eggs in ‘host’ insects. Prey on aphids, cabbageworms and a host of others.

There is a microscopic picture here, but you can't see it without a microscope! 

Actually a microscopic worm, not an insect. They are less than .16” long.

They attack borers, caterpillars and insect root pests by paralyzing or killing the larvae.

Damselfly

Delicate bodies with dark outstretched wings. Up to 1.25” long.

They eat small caterpillars, aphids, thrips and mosquitoes!

Green Lacewing

Delicate, light green bodies, clear wings. Around .6” long.

Their larvae feed on mites, insect eggs, and they have a huge appetite for aphids.

Ground Beetle

Purplish with an iridescent green sheen. Up to 1” long.

They feed on grubs and slugs by night, also eat the eggs or larvae of Colorado potato beetle, ants, aphids and thrips.

Ladybird Beetles

(Ladybugs)

Small, red or orange/red with black spots.

A benign insect that is a fierce predator. Devours mealy bugs, aphids, spider mites and soft scale insects.

Praying Mantis

Large, narrow insects that can be green or brown. About 2-3.5” long.

Will eat any insect they catch, including their own kind.

Spined Soldier Bugs

They look a lot like stinkbugs, shielded with points on their shoulders. About .5” long.

They harpoon their prey, such as aphids, slugs and spider mites, and then paralyze them with an injection.

Syrphid Fly

Looks like a small wasp, and hovers like a hummingbird. Tiny, only .2” long.

The larvae prey on aphids, scales, leafhoppers and thrips.

Tachnid Fly

Larger than a housefly, covered with bristles. Around .4” long.

They are one of the most prolific beneficial insects. They like Japanese beetles, sawflies and caterpillars.