The biocontrol agent, Tetrastichus setifer, is out and about in our experimental lily garden. Ace photographer Andrea Brauner caught this female doing what T. setifer does best:
The experimental garden has several lily varieties, of which the Asiatic "Tiny nugget" seems especially susceptible. While this is good for us, since we need a healthy lily beetle population to keep the wasps happy, you might want to avoid this particular hybrid.
These heavily damaged plants do not mean that T. setifer is ineffective. Last year, the wasps killed over 80% of the larvae in the garden, so to make sure our beetle population stays high, we supplement with beetles found in other gardens.
RSS Feed
