I was checking a TS plant yesterday following a trail of ants, I found a cluster of aphids on a leaf. Instead of crushing them I noticed a couple wormlike bugs. Plucking the leaf I brought it in and looked through my 30X scope, there was 3 wormlike creatures 1 tiny barely 25% the size of the aphid it was devouring! The other two where obviously almost fully grown as they where many times the size of the largest aphid. Scattered over the leaf was dozens of aphids corpses, my youngest son and I spent several minutes watching a large worm destroy his prey by sucking all its insides out.
Now after some research I know these Midge Fly Larvae can eat upwards of 65 aphids a day!!! I will now stop just crushing aphids and look very closely, being that a Midge fly is probably much more effective than my fingers.
I wish my camera could have captured a shot like the one here..
Well I tried to get a good shot with my LG came close
Now after some research I know these Midge Fly Larvae can eat upwards of 65 aphids a day!!! I will now stop just crushing aphids and look very closely, being that a Midge fly is probably much more effective than my fingers.