Mummies in my garden

[RayR]

I usually don't have a problem with aphids in my tomato plants, but this has been a strange year. I’ve seen a lot of the signs of aphids, a few noticeable leaves with damage, the remains of dead aphid bodies and few live green devils here and there but no infestation.
I haven’t used any insecticides as I’ve seen a number of adult lady bugs and lady bug nymphs, spiders and tiny wasps around the plants so I figured they were controlling the aphid population just fine themselves.
Yesterday, I noticed some beige aphid mummies on one plant and found more today elsewhere.
These aphids were parasitized by braconid wasps of the species Aphidus. The adult wasp lays it egg on an aphid, when the larva hatches it drills into the aphids body and kills it from the inside and uses the remaining bloated dried out exoskeleton to pupate until the adult wasp emerges.
You can see some mummies in the last two pictures.

[habitat_gardener]

I've been seeing lots of aphid mummies on my perennial kale leaves. Usually my kale doesn't get aphids, but just about the time I start eating other vegetables from my garden and taper off on the kale, I start to see aphids on the kale.

[JamesL]

Good pics Ray! I don't think I have ever seen the "aphid mummy" before.

I am about to start spraying for them myself. I have had them all season, but not too troubling. My pea plants were on the way out and I took a close look and wouldn't you know it, covered with aphids.
I picked up a bag of lady bugs, and they had a feast. Was hoping they would stick around and lay some eggs, but I am not seeing a lot of dead aphids.
So, will probably give it another week or so and then spray.