They are commonly used in citrus, grapes, greenhouses, zoos, adn arboretums where Mealybugs thrive. Typical release rates for orcahrds and vineyards start at 500 per acre, released one or two times per year, depending on pest populations. And approximately 5 per plant in indoor applications. Cryptolaemus montrouzieri , commonly referred to as the Mealybug Destroyer was originally imported into the United States from Australia the 1890's for the control of Citrus Mealybug in California. Cryptolaemus is a small Coccinellid species.
Adults are about.
They have a black body and a reddish head, abdomen and tail segment. The larvae are covered with thick, white, filaments and grow as large as .4 in. Cryptolaemus prefer to feed on Mealybugs and a few other closely related species. Females deposit their eggs in the cottony eggmass produced by female mealybugs. Cryptolaemus is not as effective on mealybugs that do not produce eggmass such as Longtail Mealybug.