Diglyphus isaea

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These 2 mm. mini-wasps, like D. siberica, work best when used to prevent the establishment of several leafminer species. They can also tackle minor infestations. Once a colony is established, they can adequately protect a crop throughout the warm season. Optimal conditions for D. isaea are 77°F and warmer with humidity up to 80% RH.

Release rate: 500-1,000 per acre every 2 weeks, they are most effective with 2-3 separate releases. Use indoors and outdoors. Weekly release programs available, please call us for best pricing.

D. isaea are shipped as pre-hatched, pre-fed adults. For optimal effect,use them when leafminers are expected to begin populating plants or as soon as damage is seen. Diglyphus isaea perform best in warmer conditions.

Life-style
These parasitoids, work by "stinging" (laying their eggs in) the larvae of leafminers while they work in their mesophyll mines. The stinging conveys a paralyzing toxin to the pests. The toxin works right away, the larvae stop feeding. But these mini-wasps don't stop there. They will also feed on the hosts (host-feeding), as do many Chalcid (KAL-cid) wasps (a wasp family). They will then lay 1-5 eggs next to the paralyzed larvae, up to 50 eggs in their life. The wasps' larvae which hatch from the eggs, then consume the leafminer larvae from the outside-in (ectoparasitism). The parasitoids' larvae then construct pillars of fecal matter around the remains of the much deteriorated pests. These are thought to protect the beneficial larvae from leaf drying, etc., while they undergo pupation.

The life-span of these parasitoids is roughly 2 weeks in their immature stages, then 3 weeks as adults. The conditions for optimum performance will be between 75-90° F with a relative humidity of around 80%. But these are optimum conditions, and not necessarily a prerequisite of successful implementation. Under optimum conditions, each female Diglyphus kills about 360 leafminer larvae. Please note, however, significantly cooler or warmer temperatures and humidity fluctuations may hamper reproduction and development to a certain degree.

Benefits
The life-cycle of these parasitoids is considerably shorter than that of their hosts. They can, therefore, overwhelm the pests in a matter of time with few, if any, other considerations. Patience is it. Under most conditions these mini-wasps will prosper and come out on top.

D. isaea, being shipped as adults, offer the benefit of fast oviposition or egg-laying.These tiny wasps parasitize leafminer larvae in the first and second stages of development.

Use in conjunction with Blue Sticky Traps. Use indoors and outdoors.

Leafminer damage is unmistakable, resembling ever widening serpentine rivers in the leaves of many vegetable and tree crops.

Additional Control Measures: Sticky Thrips/Leafminer Traps and Monterey Garden Insect Spray are also recommended to achieve complete control.

This Product Controls These Pests or Diseases:
This product works as a beneficial insect for control of the following: Florida, chrysanthemum or serpentine leafminer (Liriomyza trifolii); Leafminers (Phyllocnistis sp), Spinach Leafminer (Pegomya hyoscyami; tomato leafminer (L. bryoniae) and many others of economic importance. D. isaea can control 18 known species from 4 different genera, not just the genus Liriomyza.