Mite-predator
Guides
Brachygluta
ant-loving beetles
Brachygluta is a genus of ant-loving beetles (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) containing over 80 described species. These small rove beetles are specialist predators of mites. The Nearctic fauna has been revised, with 29 species recognized in North America.
Coniopteryginae
dusty lacewings
Coniopteryginae is a subfamily of dusty lacewings in the family Coniopterygidae, characterized by their small size and distinctive powdery or waxy coating that gives them a moth-like appearance. Members of this subfamily are among the smallest lacewings, with reduced wing venation compared to other neuropterans. They are primarily predatory as both larvae and adults, feeding on small soft-bodied arthropods such as mites and scale insects. The subfamily is distinguished from the other coniopterygid subfamily, Aleuropteryginae, by several morphological features including wing structure and genitalia.
Coniopteryx
dusty-wings
Coniopteryx is a genus of dusty-wing lacewings in the family Coniopterygidae. Adults are tiny insects covered with a powdery white wax coating produced by specialized abdominal glands. The genus has cosmopolitan distribution and is active during winter months when most other insects are dormant. Larvae are important predators of spider mites, scale insects, and whiteflies.
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.
Ischyropalpus nitidulus
antlike flower beetle
Ischyropalpus nitidulus is a small antlike flower beetle in the family Anthicidae, measuring 2.6–3.3 mm in length. The species is widespread across North America from northern Mexico to southern Canada, with a notable absence from the southeastern United States. It has been documented as a predator of mites associated with Monterey pine.
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.
predatorbiological-controlzoophytophagousthrips-predatoraphid-predatormite-predatoragricultural-beneficialgreenhouse-biological-controloccasional-human-bitermass-rearedcommercial-natural-enemyintegrated-pest-managementurban-insect-ecologydiapauseoverwintering-adultendophytic-ovipositionpollen-feedingSemidalis
dusty-wing
Semidalis is a genus of dusty-wing lacewings (family Coniopterygidae) comprising small predatory insects with bodies covered in white wax. Adults and larvae are active predators of tiny arthropods including spider mites, scale insects, and whiteflies. The genus has an almost cosmopolitan distribution, with records from Europe, China, Africa, and North America. Some species remain active during winter months in temperate regions.
Zetzellia mali
apple mite, Zetzellia mite
Zetzellia mali is a predatory mite in the family Stigmaeidae, widely distributed across apple-growing regions of the world. This small arachnid serves as an important natural enemy of phytophagous mites in orchards, particularly targeting spider mites (Tetranychidae) and eriophyid mites. The species exhibits a three-generation annual life cycle in temperate climates, with adult females overwintering in protected locations on host trees. While less efficient at population regulation than some competing predatory mites such as phytoseiids, Z. mali contributes significantly to biological control in integrated pest management programs.