Mites as an Ecological Sustainability Indicator in Orchards
Predatory Insects
Araneae: Spiders
 |
 |
Banded Garden Spider |
Wolf Spider |
Family |
Araneae |
Common Name |
Spiders |
Appearance |
Arthropods with two segments: a cephalothorax and an abdomen. Have eight legs. |
Type of Predation |
Produce some sort of webbing that is used as a trap for their prey. |
Prey |
Predaceous on many things, mostly insects. |
Coccinellidae: Ladybird Beetles- Eggs, Larvae, and Adults
Anthocoridae: Minute Pirate Bug
 |
 |
Nymph |
Adult |
Family |
Anthocoridae |
Species |
Orius insidiosus |
Common Name |
Minute pirate bug |
Appearance |
Black body, wings are pale with black tips. |
Description of Stages |
Nymphs are small, yellow, and teardrop shaped. |
Type of Predation |
Fast moving; search and destroy. |
Prey |
Mites, insect eggs, aphids, thrips, and small caterpillars. |
Nabidae: Damsel Bugs
 |
 |
 |
Nymph |
Adult |
Ant-like Nabid |
Family |
Nabidae |
Common Name |
Damsel bug |
Appearance |
Common Nabids are either ash gray or shiny and black, mimicking an ant. |
Description of Stages |
Immature stages are similar to adults, but lacking wings. |
Prey |
Mites, aphids, lygus bugs, and other arthropods. |
Chrysopidae: Green Lacewings
 |
 |
 |
Eggs |
Larva |
Adult |
Family |
Chrysopidae |
Common Name |
Lacewings |
Appearance |
Long, slender, and most are commonly green. Have large, heavily veined wings that give lace-like appearance. |
Description of Stages |
Eggs are laid on stalks of leaves. Predaceous immatures are dark and oval with tapered ends. They have sickle-like jaws and are covered in tubercles. |
Type of Predation |
Most predation is done as a larvae, and some species are not predaceous as adults, relying on flower nectar for food. |
Prey |
Mites, aphids, small caterpillars, leafhoppers, and thrips. |
Syrphidae: Hover Flies
 |
 |
 |
Eggs |
Larva |
Adult |
Family |
Syrphidae |
Common Name |
Hover flies |
Appearance |
Adult flies resemble bees, but have only two wings and no stinger. |
Description of Stages |
Larvae are slug-like and often resemble lepidopterous larvae, although they have no legs. |
Type of Predation |
Larvae are the most voracious predators, searching out prey on the leaf surface. |
Prey |
Mites, aphids, caterpillars, etc. |