Pests controlled
- larvae consumes all species of aphids
Identification
- adult gall midge with very long legs and slender body (2-3 mm long)
- very long antenna that are bent backwards
- larvae are elongated and translucent orange (2.5 mm long)
- often change colour (yellow, red, brown, grey) depending on prey consumed
Development
- eggs laid near aphid colonies (female can lay 100- 300 eggs in a lifetime)
- small, red larvae hatch in 2-3 days at 21˚C
- larvae feed on aphids (up to 50 per day) and kill more than they consume
- total development time is 19 days at 21˚C
- adults must feed on plant nectar and aphid honeydew
- can enter diapause if daylength is shorter than 12- 14 hours of light per day
- must use supplemental lighting to avoid diapause and maintain high levels of reproduction
- larvae pupate in top 1 cm of moist soil in an oval silk cocoon
Dispersion
- weak fliers, but very efficient at prey location
- eggs laid in colony therefore prey finding not difficult for larvae
- mainly active at night
