BeneficialMexican bean beetle
Spined soldier bug for mexican bean beetle
Podisus maculiventris · predatory stink bug
Against mexican bean beetle
Suppliers list Mexican bean beetle larvae as prey, and UF/IFAS photographed a spined soldier bug feeding on one. No release trial against this beetle was found. The parasitoid Pediobius foveolatus has the track record, so treat the bug as a supplement and learn to spare the wild ones.
Rate1–5 /m² per release, every 1–2 weeks (Sound Horticulture)
TimingWhen larvae are feeding under the leaves
TemperatureLab: nymphs took 23 days at 77 °F (25 °C), 99 days at 59 °F (15 °C); none developed at 50 °F (10 °C)
macro · spined soldier bug on mexican bean beetle
The pestMexican bean beetleEpilachna varivestisLacy, see-through patches eaten from the underside of bean leavesFull pest profile →Before you order
A native predatory stink bug, found throughout North America and sold in small lots as nymphs or eggs. It spears caterpillars and the larvae of beetles such as Colorado potato beetle and Mexican bean beetle. How it works, how to tell it has established and the supplier list are on the full Podisus maculiventris profile.
Release calculator
How many do I need?
Area and infestation level in; quantity, cost and a weekly schedule out. Open the calculator →
Other controls for mexican bean beetle
- Pediobius foveolatusParasitoid wasp · Home garden: 10–15 mummies minimum. Fields: 160 mummies/acre (light) to 640/acre (heavy), split over two releases; or 2,000 adults for fields under an acre