Beneficial Insectary, Inc.

Generalists Dalotia coriaria are predatory rove beetles that live in the top layer of soil. Both adults and larvae stages are predatory, and will eat shore fly and fungus gnat larvae, as well as pupating thrips! Typically Dalotia are active from 50°F (10°C), but will survive much colder temperatures.

Adults can fly and are nocturnal, while larvae stay in the upper layers of soil or potting media, actively hunting through the substrate. Adult Dalotia will also feed on the pupal (prepupae and pupae) stages of the western flower thrips in the growing medium.

⏰️ Apply ASAP to the soil of young plants!

🌅 Best to release these beetles at sundown, and wait a couple of hours to water after their release. These beetles may also be released onto dirt and gravel floors, around greenhouse weeds, under benches and ground covers, and any place fungus gnat, shore fly larvae and pupae or thrips’ pupae and pre-pupae may develop.

🕓 Leave bottle or bag in treatment area for 24 hours to ensure all beetles have exited! 🕗

Choosing the right Trichogramma comes down to matching species with your environment and crop system!

𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘦 best fit: controlled or stable environments • Greenhouses, high tunnels, dense vegetable canopies • Performs best under moderate, consistent temperatures • Common across protected ag systems nationwide 🚜

𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘪 best fit: hot, dry, open-field conditions • Orchards and specialty crops • Tolerates higher heat and lower humidity • Most commonly used in western U.S. production systems 🍊🍋

𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘮 best fit: cooler, seasonal field environments • Corn, soybean, and forestry programs • Active under cooler temperature regimes • Widely used in northern U.S. and Canada 🌽🌲

When to use Tricho mix (all three): • Fluctuating temperatures or unpredictable weather • Mixed production (greenhouse + field) • Variable canopy structure or pest pressure 🌦🌡

💡A multi-species blend provides more consistent parasitism when conditions vary across your operation.

An ounce of Prevention is worth a pound of Cure as we always say! Preventative IPM for propagation season is necessary to think about when you have incoming cuttings that can potentially harbor pests!

Early scouting protocols include:

🪴 Introducing beneficials preventatively before populations of pests establish.

🪴 Having banker plants nearby your hotspots and main entry points/doors.

🪴 Sticky card monitoring by placing cards vertically a few inches above canopy; for early pest detection, place a few extra traps near doors, vents, and sidewalls. (~1 - 4 cards per 1,000 sq.ft./20 cards per acre, for Poinsettias)

🚨 Pesticides (insecticides, nematicides, fungicides, etc.) can have short or long-term negative effects on one or more
stages of the BCA's. Always use caution and follow state and federal instructions if or when choosing pesticides! 🚨

This time of year, plants will have heavy vegetative growth, quicker stages of flower, and rising pest pressures 📈
There are several steps to take during weekly scouting days that are good reminders to how quickly pests can build up, if left to their own devices! 🔎

- Canopy Check: Flip leaves in the upper, middle, and lower thirds of the plant. Look at the undersides of foliage, as two-spotted spider mites, thrips, and aphids prefer hiding there.

- Underside of leaves using gloves (for aphids, mites).

- New growth inside of buds, near tip top of canopy (russet/broad mites) and under crown (thrips).

- Soil and media surface (fungus gnats flying and crawling).

- Use a beat-sheet to catch and ID falling pests, after shaking leaves and stems over white surface.

&

-Sticky card monitoring (yellow typically for flying insects, blue for thrips) 🏷
>>> Replace and tally the counts weekly to establish a baseline of normal activity

Check with your local IPM specialist to get advice on a well-rounded scouting routine!

Thank you to for letting Cody M. teach a class and letting us on site to scout The Domes!

The Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory is a living plant museum with a collection of over 1,800 plant species representing life across the globe, including a Desert Dome, Floral Dome, and Tropical Domes. The Mitchell Park Conservatory aka "Milwaukee Domes" is a must-see spot for anyone who loves plants!

We appreciate all of the opportunities we get to show growers the wonders of IPM!