Aphidoletes aphidimyza - Description

A. aphidimyza are indigenous predators that prey on over 60 species of aphids. Male A. aphidimyza have long, hair-covered antennae, while females possess shorter, thicker antennae. To initiate mating, females fly to spider webs, where they wait for a male partner. To enhance the likelihood of successful mating, leave existing spider webs or use stretched cotton balls to simulate them. Within 2-3 days, the eggs hatch into orange, legless maggots, each measuring up to 3mm, and with a voracious appetite for 7-14 days. Following this feeding phase, the larvae pupate within a cocoon, eventually emerging as adults to initiate the reproductive cycle anew. A. aphidimyza are typically shipped in the pupal (cocoon) stage, nestled in moist vermiculite or sand.