Aphid predators

Tania · July 2, 2014

We have quite a few in our garden!

Hoverfly larvae

Tania · July 2, 2014

and Aphidoletes aphidimyza

Tania · July 2, 2014

Hoverfly larva is very efficient in clearing our pepper plants from aphids. They get busy finding aphids and laying eggs on the underside of the leaves, where larva can have a great feast when it hatches.

Aphidoletes are coming and going in waves - the larval cycle is about 2-3 weeks, and then the adult phase comes. I am hoping we can get up to 3 generations of aphidoletes in the garden this summer, until they go dormant.

Spraying with anything, organic or not, will also kill the beneficials. So we never spray.

Tatiana

bower · July 2, 2014

I had to google 'hoverfly' and get an adult picture, pretty sure we have tons of these if not a dozen different kinds, which may explain why aphids are not a problem in the garden here although we have a lot of ants...

One year I brought in pepper plants into the greenhouse to ripen their peppers in the fall. They looked perfect when I brought them in, but a week later.. COVERED in yuckky aphids...no predators came in with em, I guess.

We have quite a few kinds of parasitoid wasps in the garden as well, they are super sensitive and would be wiped out by insecticides. The ones that prey on aphids are pretty tiny! There's a photo of one here:

http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0828-i...n-ecology.html

AKmark · July 3, 2014

We use Aphapar and evapars, also Green lacewings. We had a huge aphid out break in one of our greenhouses, it is ww3 in the insect world, bodies everywhere. We have a microscope, so we are easily entertained. I am not sure if they can wipe them out, but they seem to be controlling the aphids.

Tania · July 3, 2014

Mark, what are 'Aphapar and evapars'?

AKmark · July 3, 2014

Hi Tania, it is Aphipar, and Ervipar, they are parasitic wasps that lay their eggs in Aphids, and they are doing that. Koppert biological systems is where I got them. I'll try and take some close ups.

Tania · July 3, 2014

Mark, so these are brand names? I am guessing they are Aphidius (as bower mentioned)

We have them too, but I was not able to take a picture yet. I have seen the mummified aphids, so I know they are around!

July 2, 2014	#3
Tania Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anmore, BC, Canada Posts: 3,970	Hoverfly larva is very efficient in clearing our pepper plants from aphids. They get busy finding aphids and laying eggs on the underside of the leaves, where larva can have a great feast when it hatches. Aphidoletes are coming and going in waves - the larval cycle is about 2-3 weeks, and then the adult phase comes. I am hoping we can get up to 3 generations of aphidoletes in the garden this summer, until they go dormant. Spraying with anything, organic or not, will also kill the beneficials. So we never spray. Tatiana __________________ Tatiana's TOMATObase

July 3, 2014	#6
Tania Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anmore, BC, Canada Posts: 3,970	Mark, what are 'Aphapar and evapars'? __________________ Tatiana's TOMATObase

July 3, 2014	#8
Tania Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anmore, BC, Canada Posts: 3,970	Mark, so these are brand names? I am guessing they are Aphidius (as bower mentioned) We have them too, but I was not able to take a picture yet. I have seen the mummified aphids, so I know they are around! __________________ Tatiana's TOMATObase

July 2, 2014	#4
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	I had to google 'hoverfly' and get an adult picture, pretty sure we have tons of these if not a dozen different kinds, which may explain why aphids are not a problem in the garden here although we have a lot of ants... One year I brought in pepper plants into the greenhouse to ripen their peppers in the fall. They looked perfect when I brought them in, but a week later.. COVERED in yuckky aphids...no predators came in with em, I guess. We have quite a few kinds of parasitoid wasps in the garden as well, they are super sensitive and would be wiped out by insecticides. The ones that prey on aphids are pretty tiny! There's a photo of one here: http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0828-i...n-ecology.html

July 3, 2014	#5
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	We use Aphapar and evapars, also Green lacewings. We had a huge aphid out break in one of our greenhouses, it is ww3 in the insect world, bodies everywhere. We have a microscope, so we are easily entertained. I am not sure if they can wipe them out, but they seem to be controlling the aphids.