Species Cryptolaemus montrouzieri - Mealybug Destroyer

Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant 1853

3.4-4.5 mm(1)

Larva covered with waxy curls

Adult is dark brown to black with orange/tan head and tail, and dark legs (similar colored Scymnus spp. have yellow legs(1)), although the forelegs are light-brown in females

native to e. Australia, now subcosmopolitan(2)(3), widespread in our area, esp. in the south (BG data); established in IN, MO, FL, CA(4)

mealybugs

Vitamin E (tocopherols) is an important vitamin for egg maturation.

Yellow eggs laid among mealybugs

Imported from Australia in 1891 to control citrus mealybugs in California. Widely used for control of citrus and long-tailed mealybugs, soft scales and related pests. Will not survive cold winters, so mostly used in greenhouses or mild-winter areas, elsewhere has to be released annually.

Scymnus spp. - smaller (<2.5 mm) and usually with paler legs(1)