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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wapato, Washington » Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #418202
Research Project: Integrated Approach to Manage the Pest Complex on Temperate Tree Fruits

Location: Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research

Title: Augmentative releases of insectary-reared lacewings for aphid control in apples

Author
item Schmidt-Jeffris, Rebecca
item Moretti, Erica
item HAUSLER, DANIEL - Washington State University
item TAYLOR, KATHERINE - University Of Maryland
item OHLER, BONNIE - Washington State University
item TEMPEST, HAYDEN - National Institute Of Agricultural Botany (NIAB)
item Cooper, William

Submitted to: Biological Control
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/27/2025
Publication Date: 6/28/2025
Citation: Schmidt-Jeffris, R.A., Moretti, E.A., Hausler, D., Taylor, K., Ohler, B., Tempest, H., Cooper, W.R. 2025. Augmentative releases of insectary-reared lacewings for aphid control in apples. Biological Control. 208. Article 105833. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105833.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105833

Interpretive Summary: Lacewings are the most common predator to be purchased and released for pest control in apples. Currently, there are no best practice recommendations for releasing lacewings in orchards, leaving growers trying multiple methods and hoping that something works. USDA researchers in Wapato, WA in collaboration with researchers at Washington State University, University of Maryland, and the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (United Kingdom), tested releases of different lacewing species, life stages, and release methods (sprinkling by hand, egg cards, drone dispersal) for aphid management. Release effectiveness varied between trials, but releases of lacewings as either egg cards or hand-applied larvae generally resulted in the best lacewing survival. Release success was most dependent on early season timing, at the first sign of aphids. Research results will be used to create best practice recommendations for growers, saving them labor and expense on ineffective methods, and reducing reliance on pesticides for aphid control.

Technical Abstract: In Washington State (U.S.) apple production, adoption of augmentative releases of commercially-reared lacewings for aphid management is increasing, likely due to expanding organic acreage and a lack of effective chemical options. To address the lack of research-based best practice recommendations for this crop, we compared releases of different lacewing species (Chrysoperla rufilabris, C. plorabunda, C. carnea), life stages (eggs versus larvae), and release methods (sprinkling by hand, egg cards, drone dispersal) for aphid suppression and lacewing survival. Pest and intraguild prey consumption in the field was examined with molecular gut content analysis, using both universal and species-specific primers. In 2021, one hand release of C. plorabunda eggs or C. rufilabris larvae reduced aphid populations by ~50% compared to the control, but a release of C. carnea larvae or C. rufilabris eggs did not. In 2022-2023, none of the release treatments decreased aphid abundance, likely because initial aphid numbers were much higher. Recovery of released lacewings was also low in 2023, potentially due to pesticide applications. The highest lacewing larvae recapture rates occurred in the egg card and larvae treatments; larvae recaptured from these treatments also more frequently tested positive for pest aphid DNA. We found no evidence that lacewing larvae consume other orchard predators. Our initial results indicate that lacewing releases may substantially reduce aphid abundance, but release efficacy is highly dependent on release method, life stage, and timing. Early season releases at the first sign of aphids appear to be particularly critical for success.