The female wasps sense the odor of infested plants and the aphid’s honeydew secretion and will parasitze adults and nymphs. Using her ovipositor, the female will insert an egg inside the aphid host. When the egg hatches, the larva begins to eat the aphid from the inside out causing its death and turning it into a black mummy. A new adult wasp emerges through a round exit hole at the back of the mummy. Each female wasp parasitizes 5 to 10 aphids a day, with a total of up to 250 aphids during its entire lifetime. The presence of a parasitic wasp can cause aphids to drop from the plant in a panic reaction.
Key Features
- Parasitic wasp for control of large aphid species
- Endoparasitoid
- Slower population build up, but much longer lived compared to other aphid parasitoids
- Adults feed directly on aphids
- More resistant to high temperatures than other parasitoid species
- Less sensitive to hyperparasitism
- Short search range
Storage
- Use immediately upon receipt
- If not possible, product can be briefly stored in at 46-50°F/8-10°C and RH > 85%.
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