Aphidoletes aphidimyza

Exterior

Adult aphid midges are small (2-3 mm), delicate, gnats-like flies with long, dangling legs and long antennae. Eggs are oval, minute (about 0.1 mm by 0.3 mm), and orange. The larvae, which look like orange maggots, are tiny, growing through 3 instars from minute to 2-3 mm. Depending on their food source, they are bright orange to red, and their bodies are narrow towards the head. The larvae have strong “jaws” with which they grasp their prey.

Life span

Each female can live for 1 to 2 weeks and deposit about 70 orange eggs singly or in clusters on leaves among aphid colonies. The eggs hatch in 2 to 4 days.

Eggs

Upright placed, orange, deposited on leaves among aphid colonies. Fertility is 70 eggs.

Larvae

In greenhouses the larvae drop to the soil less than a week after hatching and burrow to pupate; adults emerge about 1 to 2 weeks later.

Imago

The adult is 2.5 to 3 mm in length, black with long, dangling legs and long antennae. Adult midges fly at night and are rarely seen; they feed on honeydew.

Feeding

Aphidoletes feed on the larval pest instars, previously killing them by injecting a toxin that paralyzes the victim. The larva can kill from 3 to 50 aphids per day. In massive aphid colonies Aphidoletes larvae kill much more victims than they can eat.

Use of the beneficial insects.

• In case of a small infestation, 125 or 500 ml – bottles are used. Before release, the blisters are kept at a room temperature until the first adults emerged. The blisters are placed in aphid colonies, protected from sunlight and high temperatures.
• In the case of mass infection use 125 or 500 ml – bottles, which contain 1000 midge individuals. Pupae are in a moist carrier material, such as vermiculite. It is necessary to distribute midges in small piles in aphid colonies, always in a humid place, protected from direct sunlight. For example, on the substrate.

Recommended standards for Aphidoletes aphidimyza applying

Conditions and duration of storage

• keep in a cool dark place at a temperature between 10-15 °C/43-46 °F until ready for use;
• use within 18 hours after receiving;
• don’t keep in a refrigerator.

Package:

• packs of 4 blisters, each contains enough pupae to produce 250 adults;
• 5 – liter paper bag contains 125,000 or 250,000 predatory mites;
• 125 or 500 ml – vial contains 1000 pupae in moist vermiculite carrier. The 125 ml-bottle is designed to give high doses in the case of mass infestation;