Digliphus isaea

Exterior

The leafminer parasitoid D. isaea is a small parasitoid wasp, body length is 0.8 – 2.8 mm. The female body is elongated. The head, thorax, and dorsal abdomen are generally metallic green in color. The front wings are narrow. The intermediate abdomen segment is roughly and deeply sculpted. Legs are mostly black with a yellow stripe.

Influence of temperature on beneficial insects’ development rate

The growth time from egg to adult at temperature:

• 15 °С – 26 days;
• 25 °С – 11 days.

Feeding

Having found the leaf miner larva of 2d or 3d instar the female paralyzes the larva with the sting and lays some eggs near it (2-5). Fertility varies from 200 to 300 eggs, depending on temperature. The female eats about 70 pest larvae in their lifetime.

The start of the wasp introduction depends on carried out glue traps monitoring. If necessary, application is repeated. It is also suggested to release when pest populations are high and sufficient enough to support D. isaea populations and future generations. We recommend releasing wasps early in the morning or in the late evening. Keep the bottle horizontally, carefully remove the cap among the crop. Adjust the release of the wasps by gently tapping and inclining the bottle towards the plants. Leave the bottle among the plants for a few hours to allow the remaining wasps to come out.

The optimum conditions for the development of D. isaea are the temperature of 25 ° C and a relative humidity between 40 and 60%.

Recommended standards for D. isaea applying

Package

• 30 ml bottle contains 250 insects;

Transporting and storage

• storage in a dark place at a temperature between 10–15 ° C;
• keep away from direct sunlight;
• use within 18 hours after receiving.