Chrysostom (Chrisoperla carnea) It belongs to the goldeneye family, which has about 2,000 species. Body length up to 1 cm, wingspan 1.5-3 cm. Body color is pale green in summer, in autumn it changes to reddish-brown, which is due to the accumulation of carotenoids in the body.
The female lays several hundred small eggs, 2-5 per day, usually in the dark. Eggs are laid in the middle of an aphid colony. The larva hatches in 3-6 days and immediately begins to feed. It feeds on aphids, worms, plant mites and eggs of various moths. During the development period it can eat up to 200-300 aphids. Larva size 1-8 mm, depending on the stage of development. The color gradually changes from transparent to brown. The body is elongated, pointed at the end with hook-shaped processes on the sides, on the head there are jaws-jaws curved inwards. In 2-3 weeks pupates. The pupal stage lasts 10-14 days.
At a constant temperature of +26 degrees metamorphosis (transformation from eggs into an adult) lasts 25-30 days. Well tolerates temperature changes. Even if the temperature drops sharply to a low level, the larva will survive and after a while, under good conditions, will start feeding again.
The adult feeds on nectar, honeydew (sticky sweet liquid, which is found on the leaves of plants, it is released under the influence of sharp fluctuations in temperature).
Adults overwinter, burrowing into fallen leaves and emerge in the spring, with the onset of heat.
Cotton scoop It belongs to the scoop family, which has 11,772 species. Butterfly with a wingspan of 3-4 cm. Summer from mid-July to October-November. Eggs are laid 3-4 days after departure. Usually 1-3 eggs are laid on the leaves of plants. Fertility of females from 300 to 2700 eggs. The duration of embryo development depends on the ambient temperature, in summer - 2-5 days, in autumn - 8-12. The caterpillar develops in 13-22 days, during this time it sheds 5 times. Then pupation occurs in the soil at a depth of 4-10 cm, sometimes in the ears of corn. In summer, the pupa develops in 10-15 days. Autumn pupae overwinter in the soil. Adults are born immature, to complete their development they need additional nutrition on flowers. The caterpillars feed on various plants, their forage base includes more than 120 species of plants.
