Item Numbers
WFA250 - 250 Pupae per Bottle
Targets:
Destroyers of spider mites and biological control for tomatoes, cucumbers and other greenhouse crops where spider mite infestations are a problem.
Description:
Feltiella acarisuga is a predatory cecidomyid midge. The larvae are a translucent to yellowish color that will prey on spider mites immediately after hatching. After about a week of eating spider mites, mature midges begin to pupate, forming cocoons adjacent to leaf veins that yield new adults within about six to seven days. All stages of the insect should be visible in the greenhouse within 2 to 3 weeks of application. Feltiella will persist in the greenhouse until the spider mite infestation is controlled, after which time they will die off.
Product information:
Feltiella are sold as pupae (small, white cocoons) on paper and packaged in units of 250. The average emergence rate of adults from the pupal stage is approximately 90%, over 300 cocoons are packaged in each tub to ensure a yield of 250 adults. Adult females will actively search the crop to find spider mite colonies. Once they find a colony they will lay their eggs next to it. The eggs will hatch to become predatory larvae which will feed exclusively on spider mites.
Instructions for use:
To use a tub, all the grower needs to do is remove the lid and leave the tub in the shade in the vicinity of spider mite outbreak. Adult midges will emerge over the course of three to four days, mate and lay eggs on the leaves of mite-infested crops. Use 1 tub per localised outbreak. Repeat 4 times at weekly intervals.
Lifespan:
Adults die after four to six days and are replaced by a new batch of larvae which hatch two days after eggs are laid.
Strategic Considerations:
The number of midges will increase in response to increases in prey numbers and can search out isolated spider mite outbreaks from a distance. Feltiella works best on crops with hairy leaves and stems such as cucumbers and tomatoes. Keep out of direct sunlight. Use within 24 hours of receipt.
