Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

We need a thread with photos of the different stages of the insects. Some of the nymphs look different to the adults. In advance of nymph joke.

Ok , I'll take the invitation,.........., Nymphs get prettier and prettier with addition of beer:)

Haha, Lacewing was my first thought too. Must be one of the early stages.
Starts out like a jagsaw puzzle, here is a photo I had taken earlier.
Perhaps these are the lacewing eggs then.

Thanks faye,
I knew they'd show up
They are your friends too

So Faye, now that we know they're crusader bugs... What exactly are they? It's cool they're in your bug catcher and you can study them, but are they cool to have in your plants? or are they like as to decimate your produce?

KP they eat afids

KP: I think they are considered minor pests. Most websites states that the crusader bugs "prefer new shoots and pierce plants with their sucking mouthparts". Only certain selected type of plants though, think citrus being one of them.

http://faunanet.gov.au/wos/factfile.cfm?Fact_ID=335

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/horticulture/citrus/health/pests/crusader-bug

Anyone, please correct me if I am wrong. I would also really like to know for sure whether to squash these or leave them. Thanks.

Talking about a different insect.
Green lacewing (Mallada signatus)
The green lacewing is a general predator insect and its larvae feeds on soft bodied insects such as aphids and mealy bugs. Although available commercially, it does not reproduce in greenhouses.

Anyone got any ideas, there all over the lettuces, not to sure if there eating the lettuces but I think they are becuase Ive found some small holes. They are small about 3-4mm with see through wings, 6 legs, and seem to breed pretty quickly, theres lots and lots of infants on the plants

Aphids are my guess. Ladybird larvae will predate upon them, sticky traps will attract them and chili and garlic spray may deter them.

Although mine don't have wings, the body shape is identical to the aphids I had coating my lettuce. They didn't do much harm.

if you look down near the tail end of an aphid, it has two protuberances that stick up from it's back. you can see them on KP's pic viewtopic.php?p=192597#p192597

oh yeah, I'll bring home some pics of aquatic bugs next week and put them up

Yeh its got those two stick ups at the back but its also got wings

Edit just went to board of agriculture WA searching winged aphids and I found them, they are "Winged adult green
peach aphid"

So there you go