In glasshouses, primary target pest is caterpillars, particularly cabbage looper. In outdoor crops, Podisus have been used effectively against various caterpillars, beetle larvae, Colorado potato beetle, Lygus bugs and many other pest insects.

Podisus can kill prey much larger than themselves and are predatory as L2 to L5 nymphs and adults . They have long sword-like mouthparts which are folded underneath their bodies when not in use. They stab their prey with their mouthparts, injecting digestive enzymes which immobilize and pre-digest their prey. The slurry of predigested caterpillar is then sucked up through their hollow mouthpart, akin to drinking a protein shake through a straw.

Podisus maculiventris is delivered in a tray of 50+ nymphs (L3-L5) or in a vial of 250 eggs.

Introduce the nymphs by distributing in small groups into hotspots. Adult Podisus are highly mobile and will spread rapidly throughout the crop by walking and flying. Nymphs can walk easily from plant to plant when plants are touching each other. Eggs can be distributed in bioboxes to prevent them falling to the floor, or they can be hatched inside the original shipping vial and tapped directly onto the crop. Podisus must be released early and release rates vary depending on crop, target pest, climate and budget. Consult your service provider for recommendations.

Introduce the beneficials as soon as possible after receipt. If storage is necessary, keep them at 8 – 10 °C (46 – 50 °F). If storage is longer than 1 day, store them at 5 °C (41 °F).