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

Product Description

APHIDOLETESforce™ is the predatory gall midge Aphidoletes aphidimyza, whose bright-orange larvae hunt and eat more than 60 species of aphids. The tiny, mosquito-like adults are harmless to people — it is the larvae that do the work, scooting along infested leaves and clearing aphid colonies. Aphidoletes is best used as a cleanup once aphids are found, and its females are exceptional at finding small aphid hot spots scattered among healthy plants. It works in greenhouses, fields, and gardens.

What it targets

Many aphid species, including:

• Green Peach Aphid (Myzus persicae)
• Melon/Cotton Aphid (Aphis gossypii)
• Potato Aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae)
• Foxglove Aphid (Aulacorthum solani)
• Cannabis Aphid (Phorodon cannabis)

Crops it supports

Ornamentals, hemp/cannabis (outdoors only), vegetable crops, soft fruits, and tree nurseries — in greenhouses, fields, and gardens.

How Aphidoletes aphidimyza controls aphids

After emerging, adult females find a spider web to land on and wait for a mate, then fly off to lay around 250 eggs among aphid colonies. Where webs are scarce, many growers build “love shacks” from stretched cotton to mimic them — studies show webs lead to more successful mating. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae bite the aphids’ legs and inject a paralyzing toxin, then suck out the body contents. In heavy infestations they paralyze far more aphids than they eat, which kills those too. Optimum performance comes between 64–77°F with relative humidity of at least 70%.

Release Rates

Cannabis Alert: Release rate suggestions on these pages are usually not sufficient for cannabis growers. For cannabis release rates, contact us.

Release Instructions

Release timing: Release APHIDOLETESforce™ when aphids are first detected.

Release method: Most of the midges arrive as pupae and emerge as adults within about three days. Open the top and let any emerged adults fly out, gently shaking the bottle to encourage them — but do not shake out the remaining pupae. Because they pupate on the ground naturally, small piles of the leftover pupae can be placed directly onto moist soil near the aphid-infested plants. Alternatively, leave them in the bottle and check at least once a day to release newly emerged adults.

Storage: Use immediately upon receipt. If that is not possible, store briefly at 6–10°C / 42–50°F. Always adhere to the use-by date.

Monitoring: Adults may be seen flying in the early evening or later at night, and females are sometimes found on spider webs with males nearby. The bright-orange larvae stand out under the leaves, and shriveled aphid bodies with fewer living aphids are a good sign the midges are working.

Advisories: Remove yellow sticky cards for the first few days after release; blue sticky cards are fine to keep, but do not release the midges right next to them. Aphidoletes cannot be used when day length is below 12 hours, or at any time of year indoors. It can be used in hydroponic systems, but do not expect establishment (multiple generations), since it pupates in soil. Control ants before releasing, since they protect aphids for their honeydew. Do not release alongside Chrysoperla (green lacewing) or Amblyseius swirskii — lacewing larvae eat Aphidoletes larvae, and swirskii may eat the midge eggs.