Aphidius colemani

Aphidius colemani is a parasitic wasp. The body of the entomophage is slender, black with brown legs. It has long antennae and wings with a distinctly expressed nervation. Its size as a rule is about 2 mm. The female has an oblong abdomen. The male has a spherical-shaped abdomen. The female of Aphidius lays its eggs directly in the body of a prey (aphid) through an ovipositor. This action takes several fractions of a second. The entomophage parasitizes inside adult individuals and nymphs. After the laying of the egg in the pest body a larva emerges. It begins to feed on the inner contents of a host body. After 7 days of infestation (at 21ºC) it fixes the aphid on a leaf and forms a silk cocoon. The exterior of the aphid becomes golden-brown and the prey is transformed into a mummy. After 4 days from the start of mummification process the adult individual of Aphidius leaves the mummy trough a round hole. The entire development of Aphidius colemani takes 14 days at a temperature of 21ºC and 10 days at a temperature of 25ºC. During life cycle Aphidius lays about 100 eggs. The life span of the adult amounts to 2–3 weeks. The sex ratio of females and males is 2:1. The adult individuals are able to move for the search of food source. It is possible hyperparasitism (usually in the summer).

Aphidius colemani Aphidius colemani Aphidius colemani

Application

The main purpose of entomophage application is the control of aphids (Myzus persicae, Myzus nicotianae, Aphis gossypii and others) on such crops as the sweet pepper, the cucumber, the eggplant, the rose and the chrysanthemum in the conditions of glass-covered ground. The optimal conditions for the development and the life activity of the entomophage are: a temperature of 18–25°C, a relative air humidity of 70–80%.

The release of the entomophage is made dependently on the level of pest development increasing the rate of biomaterial application in the focuses of pest populations. The prophylactic invasions of the biological agent are the most effective. The rate of entomophage application for prophylaxis is 0.1–0.5 individuals per 1 m2 of area.

For the success of bioagent application in case of the considerable numeral superiority of the pest the entomophage needs some time for the reproduction of several generations (population density increase). The application of selective synthetic pesticides is possible.

Advantages

  • application for many crops;
  • the possibility of preventive using (as prophylaxis);
  • well search abilities;
  • high reproductive ability.

Storage and transportation

  • transport and store the biomaterial at a temperature of 6–8°C;
  • don't expose the biomaterial to direct sunlight;
  • apply within 18 hours since the moment of reception.