The Department of Agriculture – Negros Island Region Regional Crop Protection Center (DA-NIR RCPC) is conducting a laboratory observation on lacewing larvae to evaluate their potential as a biological control agent against the Red-Striped Soft Scale Insects (RSSI) that have caused widespread damage to sugarcane crops, it announced on Wednesday, August 26.
The study is focusing on documenting the predatory behavior and feeding activity of the larvae against RSSI.
Lacewing larvae are described as voracious predators known for their role in controlling aphid populations in agricultural fields.
The initiative forms part of the agency’s broader efforts to develop sustainable, science-based integrated pest management strategies using natural predators to suppress pest populations, the DA NIR said in a statedment on its Facebook page.
To support field application, the RCPC laboratory is preparing for the mass production of lacewing larvae, it said.
Distribution to affected areas is targeted to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, contingent on the availability of sufficient mass-produced biological control agents, the DA-NIR said.
DA-NIR continues to explore sustainable and science-based approaches to RSSI management, utilizing natural enemies as a potential component of an integrated pest management strategy, it said.*
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