Family-level entry for the delicate green-winged insects whose larvae — the "aphid lions" — are voracious generalist predators of aphids, mites, thrips, whiteflies, scales, mealybugs, and other soft-bodied pests, making them one of the most important native biological-control insects in the vegetable and perennial garden. The adults are crepuscular or nocturnal and feed largely on nectar, pollen, and aphid honeydew, so they depend on flowering insectary plants for the carbohydrate and protein that fuel egg-laying; a few genera (notably Chrysopa) keep predatory adults. Because the larvae hunt the same aphids the adults rely on for honeydew, a planting that offers both umbel and composite flowers and a tolerated aphid population sustains a resident, reproducing population rather than a one-time visit.

Plants in the catalog

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