Aphidoletes aphidimyza adults are small, mosquito-like flies, while the larvae are bright orange or reddish, legless maggots that move along infested plants, feeding on aphids. These insects serve as effective cleanup agents once aphids are present. After emerging from their pupal cases, adult females seek out spider webs to land on while waiting to mate, subsequently laying around 250 eggs among aphid colonies. In the absence of spider webs, growers often use stretched cotton to mimic them.

Adult females excel at locating small aphid hotspots among healthy plants. Once their eggs hatch, the larvae bite the knees of aphids, injecting toxins that paralyze them before extracting their juices. In cases of high aphid populations, larvae may paralyze more aphids than they consume, contributing to aphid mortality.

Most Aphidoletes in the bottle will still be in the pupal stage but will emerge as adults within about three days. To release any emerged adults, open the top of the bottle and gently shake it to encourage them to exit, being careful not to dislodge the remaining pupae. Any remaining pupae can be placed directly onto moist soil near aphid-infested plants

NOTES:

Remove yellow sticky cards for the first few days after releasing midges.
Blue sticky cards can remain but should not be placed right next to the release area.
Midges cannot be used when day length is below 12 hours or indoors at any time of year.
They can be used in hydroponic systems, but expect limited establishment due to pupation in soil.
Caution is advised when applying to food crops, as they may pupate on the plants.
Ensure ants are controlled before releasing Aphidoletes or aphid parasitoids, as ants protect aphids from predators.
Do not release in combination with Chrysoperla or Amblyseius swirskii, as lacewing larvae will consume Aphidoletes larvae, and swirskii may eat midge eggs