Entomologists at the Illinois Natural History Survey have produced a convenient set of identification cards for beneficial insects common to the Midwest. This easy-to-use guide consists of 31 plastic-laminated cards about the size of baseball trading cards. The rugged cards withstand dirt and moisture and are fastened together in one corner so the set can be carried to the garden when necessary to distinguish between pests and beneficial insects. Each card provides a full color photo of a beneficial natural enemy on the front side and a concise and informative description on the reverse.
UPDATED September, 2020. Beneficial Insect trading cards and other books, posters, species diagnostic field cards, and educational kits available from the Illinois Natural History Survery can be purchased online at https://shop.inrs.illinois.edu/inhs-bio-edu.html
This article originally appeared in the August 8, 1997 issue, p. 126.
Links to this article are strongly encouraged, and this article may be republished without further permission if published as written and if credit is given to the author, Yard and Garden, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. If this article is to be used in any other manner, permission from the author is required. This article was originally published on August 8, 1997. The information contained within may not be the most current and accurate depending on when it is accessed.