Brassica pod midge

The brassica pod midge ( Dasineura brassicae ) is a Gallmückenart. Your worm-like larvae live in the pods of rape and other cruciferous plants.

Features

The brassica pod midge is 1.2 to 1.5 mm long, brownish- black and has a reddish abdomen with brown transverse bands. Their larvae, which are 0.5 to 1.5 mm long, are initially glassy, ​​then white, later yellowish-white.

Development

The brassica pod midge overwinters as a pupa in the soil last year's canola fields. In May, at soil temperatures of 12 ° to 15 ° C, slipping the mosquito. Once pods are formed, even if it is only a few millimeters long approaches, fly the females to lay their eggs on the pod.

Brassica pod midges can only occupy young pods up to a size of 1 cm with eggs themselves. In older pods they are dependent on the problems caused by the Kohlschotenrüssler holes. The numerous larvae intersucking the pods inside wall. As with other gall midges it comes to swelling of the pods. They are yellow, crooked and burst prematurely. This leads to failure of the seeds. The verpuppungsreife larva can then leave the bean and migrates into the ground.

Part of the larvae hatch very soon and can again infect the winter rape or other cruciferous plants that are grown as cover crops or green manure. The brassica pod midge lays back no long way in flight, therefore lots of canola fields are infested by the edges only. In the second generation, however, they can continue to spread.

Dissemination

The brassica pod midge is found in all canola growing areas. Damage to large it is, however, only if the Kohlschotenrüssler is common in this area.