Agricultural-beneficial
Guides
Chlaenius tricolor
Tricolored Harp Ground Beetle, Vivid Metallic Ground Beetle
Chlaenius tricolor is a ground beetle in the family Carabidae, recognized by its vivid metallic coloration. The species ranges from southern Canada to Guatemala, with two recognized subspecies divided by the Rocky Mountains. It has been documented as a predator of slugs in agricultural settings and is considered sensitive to soil disturbance, making it a useful bioindicator of farming practices.
Chrysopidae
Green lacewings, lacewings, stinkflies, aphid lions, aphid wolves, junk bugs, trash bugs
Chrysopidae, commonly known as green lacewings, is a large family of neuropteran insects comprising approximately 85 genera and 1,300–2,000 species worldwide. Adults are delicate, often bright green insects with conspicuous golden compound eyes and translucent, iridescent wings with characteristic wide costal fields in the venation. Larvae are voracious predators nicknamed "aphid lions" or "trash bugs," known for carrying debris on their backs for camouflage while hunting soft-bodied prey. The family is economically significant as biological control agents, with millions reared annually for agricultural pest management.
Collops
soft-winged flower beetles
Collops is a genus of soft-winged flower beetles in the family Melyridae, containing at least 20 described species. These beetles are recognized as beneficial predators in agricultural systems, where they feed on pest insects including aphids and plant bug eggs. The genus has been studied extensively for its role in biological control, particularly in cotton and alfalfa systems in the southwestern United States. Collops beetles are frequently found on flowering plants where they hunt prey and may also utilize extrafloral nectaries.
Collops flavicinctus
Collops flavicinctus is a species of soft-winged flower beetle in the family Melyridae, subfamily Malachiinae. Members of the genus Collops are recognized as beneficial predators in agricultural systems, particularly in cotton production. The species is documented from the southwestern United States with iNaturalist records from Utah. Like other Collops species, it likely contributes to biological control of pest insects through predation on eggs and small arthropods.
Eupithecia helena
Eupithecia helena is a small geometrid moth in the genus Eupithecia, commonly known as pug moths. It is found in the western United States from Arizona and New Mexico north through Utah to Montana. Adults are active during summer months, with records from July to August. The species has been documented visiting apple flowers, contributing to nocturnal pollination services.
Geocoris bullatus
Large Big-eyed Bug
Geocoris bullatus, commonly known as the large big-eyed bug, is a species of predatory true bug in the family Geocoridae. It is native to North America and belongs to a genus recognized for its value as a biological control agent in agricultural systems. The species is one of three recognized subspecies within the G. bullatus complex, alongside G. bullatus borealis and G. bullatus obscuratus.
Geocoris lividipennis
bigeyed bug
Geocoris lividipennis is a predatory true bug in the family Geocoridae, commonly known as bigeyed bugs. The species is recognized as a beneficial insect in agricultural systems, where it serves as a natural enemy of various crop pests. Adults and nymphs are generalist predators that feed on small arthropods and their eggs. The species has a broad distribution across the Americas and Caribbean islands.
Harpalus caliginosus
Murky Ground Beetle
Harpalus caliginosus is a species of ground beetle in the subfamily Harpalinae, first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775. It is commonly known as the Murky Ground Beetle and occurs in North America, including Canada and the United States. The species is a known predator of Musca autumnalis larvae (face fly larvae), indicating its role as a beneficial biological control agent.
Harpalus rubripes
Red-legged Harpalus
Harpalus rubripes is a medium-sized ground beetle in the subfamily Harpalinae, characterized by its distinctive reddish legs that give the species its name. Native to the Palearctic region, it has established populations across much of Europe, extending eastward through Siberia and Central Asia to Anatolia. The species was introduced to North America, with records dating from 1987 onward. Like other members of the genus Harpalus, it is primarily nocturnal and ground-dwelling.
Hoplistoscelis heidemanni
damsel bug
Hoplistoscelis heidemanni is a small predatory true bug in the damsel bug family Nabidae. As with other nabids, it is a nocturnal predator that subdues other insects, including prey larger than itself. The species is recorded from North America. Damsel bugs in this genus are among the smaller members of the family, with adults typically under 12 millimeters in length.
Hoplistoscelis pallescens
damsel bug
Hoplistoscelis pallescens is a small predatory true bug in the family Nabidae, commonly known as damsel bugs. Adults measure less than 12 millimeters in length. Like other nabids, it is a nocturnal predator that subdues prey, including insects larger than itself. The species has been documented in the northeastern United States, including Massachusetts and Vermont.
Nabis alternatus
Western Damsel Bug
Nabis alternatus, commonly known as the western damsel bug, is a predatory true bug in the family Nabidae. It occurs across western North America and into Central America. As a member of the damsel bug family, it is a small, active predator that feeds on other insects. The species has been documented in agricultural settings where it contributes to biological control of pest populations.
Nabis americolimbatus
damsel bug
Nabis americolimbatus is a small predatory true bug in the family Nabidae, commonly known as a damsel bug. The species was described by Carayon in 1961 and has a Holarctic distribution, occurring in both North America and Europe. Like other damsel bugs, it is a nocturnal predator that feeds on other insects.
Nabis lovettii
Lovett's damsel bug
Nabis lovettii is a species of damsel bug in the family Nabidae, a group of small predatory true bugs. Damsel bugs are nocturnal predators that subdue insects larger than themselves using raptorial forelegs. Members of the genus Nabis are among the most abundant small predators in North American ecosystems and are considered economically important for biological pest control in agricultural systems. Nabis lovettii has been documented in western North America.
Orius insidiosus
insidious flower bug, minute pirate bug
Orius insidiosus, commonly known as the insidious flower bug or minute pirate bug, is a predatory true bug widely distributed across the Americas. Adults are approximately 2–3 mm in length, black with distinctive white wing markings. The species is an important biological control agent, mass-reared commercially for management of thrips, aphids, mites, and other agricultural pests in greenhouses and field crops. Both nymphs and adults are predatory, though they also feed on pollen and plant tissues, making them zoophytophagous. Despite their beneficial role, they occasionally bite humans, causing disproportionately painful but harmless irritation.
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hover flies, flower flies, syrphid flies, drone flies
Syrphidae is a species-rich family of true flies comprising over 6,000 described species worldwide, with approximately 800 species in North America. Adults are commonly known as hover flies, flower flies, or drone flies due to their characteristic hovering flight and frequent flower visitation. Many species exhibit Batesian mimicry of bees and wasps, gaining protection from predators through their resemblance to stinging Hymenoptera. The family provides critical ecosystem services: adults are significant pollinators second only to bees, especially in Arctic climates, while larvae display diverse ecological roles including predation on crop pests and nutrient cycling in aquatic habitats.
Toxomerus
Calligrapher Flies
Toxomerus is a large genus of hoverflies (family Syrphidae) distributed across the Americas, with over 130 described Neotropical species and additional Nearctic endemics. Species are small (typically 6–9 mm), characterized by large eyes with posterior indentation and diagnostic abdominal patterns. Most larvae are predatory on soft-bodied insects, particularly aphids, though at least three species are known pollen-feeders. Adults are pollinivorous, feeding on nectar and pollen from diverse flowering plants. The genus includes notable ecological specialists such as Toxomerus basalis, a kleptoparasite of sundews (Drosera), and several species introduced to the Afrotropics.
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