APHIDOLETESforce™ is the predatory gall midge Aphidoletes aphidimyza, whose bright-orange larvae hunt and eat more than 60 species of aphids. The tiny, mosquito-like adults are harmless to people — it is the larvae that do the work, scooting along infested leaves and clearing aphid colonies. Aphidoletes is best used as a cleanup once aphids are found, and its females are exceptional at finding small aphid hot spots scattered among healthy plants. It works in greenhouses, fields, and gardens.
What it targets
Many aphid species, including:
Green Peach Aphid (Myzus persicae)
Melon/Cotton Aphid (Aphis gossypii)
Potato Aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae)
Foxglove Aphid (Aulacorthum solani)
Cannabis Aphid (Phorodon cannabis)
Crops it supports
Ornamentals, hemp/cannabis (outdoors only), vegetable crops, soft fruits, and tree nurseries — in greenhouses, fields, and gardens.
How Aphidoletes aphidimyza controls aphids
After emerging, adult females find a spider web to land on and wait for a mate, then fly off to lay around 250 eggs among aphid colonies. Where webs are scarce, many growers build “love shacks” from stretched cotton to mimic them — studies show webs lead to more successful mating. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae bite the aphids’ legs and inject a paralyzing toxin, then suck out the body contents. In heavy infestations they paralyze far more aphids than they eat, which kills those too. Optimum performance comes between 64–77°F with relative humidity of at least 70%.
