Stratiolaelops

Stratiolaelops

credit: Applied Bio-Nomics

Stratiolaelops, formally know as hypoaspis, is a general soil predator attacking fungus gnats, thrip pupae, spider mites, root aphids, spring tails, pill bugs, black vine weevil and strawberry root weevil. They also have been used to control cricket mites that affects tarantulas, pest mites in snake cages, and mites that affect hermit crabs.

Their lifecycle is 18 days at 68 degrees F.  Eggs hatch in 2-3 days into young nymphs, which are also fierce predators that consume eggs and small larvae. Each adult Stratiolaelaps will consume 1-5 prey per day. It can also survive as a scavenger in the absence of pests, feeding on algae and plant debris.

Adults are tan in color, less than 1 mm long and move rapidly over the soil surface. They live, eat, and reproduce in the various types of soil medium and walkways on the greenhouse floor.

They will not survive freezing temperatures or flooding. Shipped as a mix of adults, immatures and eggs.

When treating soil apply 5 Stratiolaelaps per square foot at the time of planting (repeat in 2-3 weeks). Be sure to treat wet, exposed areas of soil where fungus gnats are likely to breed.

When treating potted plants apply 1 liter bottle of Stratiolaelaps (25,000 ea.) per 2,000 square feet of bench area.

Treat the floor of the greenhouse weekly if it provides wet conditions for fungus gnats to breed, and occasionally treat the perimeter of the greenhouse. It is not necessary to apply mites to every flat of bedding plants if applications are done early, at a full rate, to allow them time to spread to all flats.

Treat the perimeter of greenhouses that have had a history of severe spider mite infestation.  Stratiolaelops will move down into the soil where the 2-Spotted Spider Mite hibernates as they over winter and feed on them.