Lacewings are beneficial insects that play a powerful role in natural pest management within any garden ecosystem. Their larval stage, often referred to as “aphid lions,” are voracious predators capable of consuming hundreds of soft-bodied pests during their development. To successfully incorporate these insects into a pest control strategy, gardeners must cultivate specific plants that meet the lacewing’s unique nutritional requirements. The presence of appropriate flora encourages these natural allies to settle, reproduce, and ultimately control pest populations.
The Dual Role of Plants in Lacewing Attraction
The lacewing life cycle necessitates a two-part approach to plant attraction, as the nutritional needs of the adult and larval stages are entirely different. The immature lacewing, the larva, is a generalist predator that solely consumes other arthropods, such as aphids, mealybugs, thrips, mites, and insect eggs. The presence of these prey insects is necessary to sustain the young, which are the main pest control agents.
Conversely, the adult lacewing requires a carbohydrate-rich diet to fuel its flight and successfully reproduce. Adults primarily feed on nectar and pollen, often supplemented by honeydew (the sugary secretion left by pests like aphids). Therefore, a garden must simultaneously offer plants that provide accessible pollen and nectar for the adults and harbor enough soft-bodied prey for the ensuing generation of larvae. Females finding a reliable food source are more likely to lay their distinctive, stalked eggs nearby, ensuring the larvae hatch directly into a food-rich environment.
Specific Plants for Adult Lacewing Nutrition
Plants that attract adult lacewings offer shallow, easily accessible flowers with abundant pollen or nectar. Unlike deep, tubular blooms, these open flower structures allow the small mouths of the lacewings to reach the food source easily. Many effective attractants belong to the Umbelliferae (Apiaceae) and Compositae (Asteraceae) families.
Umbelliferae Family
The Umbelliferae group is known for its umbrella-shaped flower clusters (umbels), which provide a flat, open design ideal for foraging. Common culinary herbs like Dill (Anethum graveolens) and Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) are excellent choices, offering broad, pollen-rich flower heads. Angelica, Caraway, and the wild species Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota) provide similar large, flat landing platforms frequently visited by nectar-feeding adults.
Compositae Family
Plants from the Compositae family, which includes the daisy, are also highly effective attractants. They offer composite flower heads featuring many small, open florets that provide a large amount of pollen. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) offers dense, flat-topped clusters that are a favorite foraging site. Planting varieties of Cosmos and Coreopsis ensures a continuous supply of pollen throughout the growing season.
Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima) produces masses of tiny, fragrant flowers. These small blooms are perfectly sized for lacewing adults to access the nectar and pollen, and they can be planted densely beneath taller crops. Goldenrod (Solidago) and Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) are beneficial additions, offering a late-season food source that helps adults build up reserves before overwintering. A planned succession of these different plant types ensures that adult lacewings have a continuous supply of food from spring through fall, which is necessary for multiple generations of reproduction.
Garden Management for Lacewing Retention
Attracting lacewings is only the first step; retaining them requires specific management practices that support their entire life cycle. Strategic placement of the attractive plants is paramount, often involving intercropping or grouping them near vulnerable crops. Providing a diverse, continuously blooming floral resource ensures that adults never need to travel far to forage for the energy needed to lay their hundreds of eggs.
A consistent water source is also helpful, especially in dry periods, as lacewings require moisture for survival. A shallow dish of water with small stones or a damp patch of soil can provide a safe drinking area. Gardeners must actively tolerate a small, non-damaging population of pests, such as a few aphids, to provide a sustained food base for the developing larvae.
The most critical factor for retention is the minimization of broad-spectrum pesticides, which are highly toxic to lacewings in all life stages. These chemicals eliminate the prey the larvae need and directly kill the beneficial adults and larvae. If pest control sprays are necessary, using selective products or applying them only to localized problem areas can reduce the harm to the wider lacewing population. Finally, providing overwintering habitat, such as leaving dense, dead plant material or leaf litter undisturbed, offers a safe refuge for adults or pupae during the cold months.