Michigan cherries advice from MSU

Lady beetles

Lady beetle larvae have dark, elongated bodies with orange markings and well developed legs (5-6 mm).

Adult lady beetles are generally oval-shaped, and are red to orange with varying numbers of black spots (5-7 mm long). Pollen is an important part of the diet of some species.

Lady beetle eggs are barrel-shaped and laid in clusters.

The adult black lady beetle, Stethorus punctum, is black with silvery hairs (about 1 mm). The larva is brown or black with short spines. Both feed principally on mites.

Stethorus overwinters within the orchard in leaf litter around the base of trees. The area in the herbicide strip near the trunk of the tree should not be disturbed from November to mid-April when adults become active.

Pyrethroid insecticide applications made after half-inch green adversely affect Stethorus.

Additional information

For additional information see: http://www.ipm.msu.edu/asianladybeetle.htm
About natural enemies (from Fruit Crop Ecology and Management)
More about ladybeetles (From Identifying natural enemies)
For more monitoring information and evaluation of available pesticides:
Michigan Fruit Management Guide
A Practical Guide to Scouting Apple Orchards – a DVD showing how to scout apple orchards.
MSU Diagnostic Services for assistance in pest identification.
MSU Fruit Crop Advisory Team Alert newsletters for current pest/crop conditions.

This information was developed from A Pocket Guide for IPM Scouting in Michigan Apples by David Epstein, Larry J. Gut and George W. Sundin. Purchase this in a pocket-sized guide for reference in the orchard from MSU Extension (publication E-2720).

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06/02/08