Imported more than 100 years ago to defend orchards and orange groves, these black-spotted red or orange beetles have yet to lose their appetite for soft-bodied, sap-sucking aphids, mites, and mealybugs. They can eat up to 5,000 pests in a lifetime, doing most of their feeding while in the larval stage, as tiny alligator-shaped, orange-spotted black grubs that also go by the nickname "aphid wolves."
Twice-monthly advice for bringing your home outdoors, from year-round yard upkeep and planning to the wonders of making your garden grow, plus special offers.
Contribute to This Story Below