Our Top Aphidoletes for Aphid Control

Aphidoletes aphidimyza – aphid predator (2,000/ 10,000)

$67.11

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Aphidoletes for Aphid Control

A predatory midge whose orange larvae over-kill aphid hot spots — Aphidoletes aphidimyza for fast greenhouse and field cleanup.

What it targets

Aphidoletes aphidimyza is the predatory midge growers reach for when an aphid colony is already established and a parasitoid program needs a fast cleanup partner. The larvae — tiny bright orange maggots — eat over 60 species of aphids, including green peach (Myzus persicae), melon/cotton (Aphis gossypii), potato (Macrosiphum euphorbiae), foxglove (Aulacorthum solani), and cannabis (Phorodon cannabis) aphid.

Pair APHIDOLETESforce™ with Aphidius colemani for small aphids or Aphidius ervi for large — the two work different sides of the colony: midges target dense clusters and over-kill in concentrated hot spots, while Aphidius parasitoids range out and find aphids before colonies form. For knock-down on confirmed outbreaks, you can also stack with WHEAST™-fed adult lacewings — but don't release Aphidoletes alongside Chrysoperla larvae or Amblyseius swirskii: the lacewing larvae will eat the midge larvae, and swirskii will eat the midge eggs.

A dense aphid colony on a green leaf — the kind of hot spot Aphidoletes is released to clean up — An aphid colony on a leaf — the dense cluster Aphidoletes is built for. Females locate small infestations by smell and lay eggs directly among the prey.

How it works

The adults look like a mosquito and are harmless — they don't bite or feed on the crop. The work happens in the larval stage: bright orange, legless maggots up to about 3 mm long that scoot across leaves hunting aphids. When a larva finds one, it bites the aphid's knee joint, injects a paralyzing toxin, then sucks out the body fluids. In a dense colony the larvae paralyze far more aphids than they eat — one of the reasons growers value Aphidoletes for over-killing concentrated hot spots, not just trimming them.

Adult females have remarkable hunting behavior — they locate small aphid hot spots scattered across an otherwise clean crop. After emerging from the pupal case they look for a spider web to land on (yes, really), wait for a male to find them, then fly off and lay around 250 eggs among aphid colonies. The vendor notes growers without spider webs sometimes hang stretched cotton "love shacks" in the greenhouse to mimic them — studies show this improves mating success. Optimal performance sits at 64–77°F with relative humidity at 70% or higher.

Aphidoletes aphidimyza adult predatory midge on a leaf — *Aphidoletes aphidimyza* adult — a tiny, harmless midge that looks like a slender mosquito. The destructive stage is the orange larva, not the adult.

Crops, environments, and climate

Crops it supports

Ornamentals Vegetable crops Soft fruits Tree nurseries Hemp / Cannabis (outdoor / greenhouse only)

Environments

Greenhouses Fields Gardens

Storage

Use immediately on receipt. If brief storage is unavoidable, hold at 42–50°F (6–10°C) and respect the use-by date on the package. Live midges don't tolerate cold-chain layovers — every day in storage costs you emergence.

Instructions of use

Bottle with vermiculite — pupae

Release as soon as aphids are first detected. Most of the Aphidoletes in the bottle will still be in their pupal stage on arrival but will emerge as adults within about three days. Open the cap and let any adults that have already emerged fly out — a gentle tap encourages them. Don't shake out the remaining pupae.

Pupae on soil — natural pupation surface

Since Aphidoletes pupate in the soil naturally, the remaining pupae can be tipped out in small piles onto moist soil near aphid-infested plants. Don't pile them all in one spot — spread them so adults emerge across the canopy.

Bottle in place — daily release

Alternatively, leave the bottle in place and check it at least once a day, opening the top so newly emerged adults can fly out. This keeps the pupae undisturbed in their carrier while you trickle out adults as they're ready.

Monitoring & advisories

Monitor for

Bright orange larvae on the underside of leaves — small (up to 3 mm) but unmistakable against the green. They're the most visible diagnostic.
Shriveled aphid bodies in colonies you've released into. The larvae kill more aphids than they eat, so dead-but-uneaten husks are a good sign.
Adult midges flying in the early evening or after dark — they're crepuscular and hard to spot during the day.
Females resting on spider webs (or cotton "love shacks") with males flying around them — courtship is the prelude to egg-laying.
Falling aphid counts week-over-week. That's the outcome metric.

Advisories

Day length matters. Aphidoletes can't be used when day length is below 12 hours, and not at any time of year indoors. The adults need long days to avoid diapause. Outdoor cannabis is fine; indoor cannabis is not.
Pupation happens in soil. Hydroponic systems can use them for short-term knock-down but don't expect a self-sustaining population (no pupation surface).
Don't release alongside Chrysoperla larvae or Amblyseius swirskii — lacewing larvae eat midge larvae, swirskii eats midge eggs.
Pull yellow sticky cards for the first few days after release. Blue cards can stay up year-round, but avoid releasing midges right next to them.
Control ants before releasing — they defend aphid colonies to protect the honeydew and will interfere with the program.
For food crops: midges occasionally pupate on plant tissue rather than soil. Worth a glance before harvest.

Release rates — for conventional crops

Scenario	Rate	Cadence
Preventive — early aphid pressure routine	0.05–0.1 midges per sq. ft.	At first detection; repeat as colonies appear
Aphidoletes is primarily a curative for confirmed hot spots, not a season-long preventive. Pair with Aphidius for the preventive layer and use Aphidoletes to over-kill the colonies Aphidius surfaces. Day length must be at least 12 hours.

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Cannabis Alert

Conventional release rates are usually not sufficient for cannabis growers. We recommend you double the rate or contact us for personalized help. Note: Aphidoletes cannot be used indoors (day-length and photoperiod constraints) — for indoor cannabis aphid control, use Aphidius parasitoids or Chrysoperla larvae instead.

Life cycle

Adults emerge from pupae shipped in the bottle. Females mate (often on a spider web), lay eggs among aphid colonies, then the orange predatory larvae do the work before dropping into the soil to pupate. The cycle takes roughly three to four weeks in greenhouse conditions.

Egg

Laid among aphid colonies · ~250 per female

Larva

~1 week · bright orange, predatory

Pupa (in soil)

1–2 weeks · needs soil to pupate

Adult

~2 weeks · most eggs in first few days

Disclosures

Live-product policy. Beneficial Insectary works to guarantee live delivery of fresh organisms. Replacements or credits are offered for compromised shipments when issues are reported within 24 hours of receipt — and before any organisms suspected of viability issues are released. Don't discard the product; you may be asked to return the shipment for analysis.

Establishment of biocontrol agents. Many variables — pesticide applications, watering practices, storage, cultural and physical controls — affect BCA and pest populations across crops. Some agents need a steady pest food source, others need alternate food (pollen, nectar), others have specific photoperiod requirements. Because of these variables, long- or short-term establishment of BCAs cannot be guaranteed after release, and refunds, discounts, or credits are not offered on products that have already been released.