Aphid mummy

[Lewis noble]

So, I have been trying to find out information on these things. They are fascinating. These are formed from parasitic wasps, that lay an egg into an aphid, which then eats the host and emerges from its rear end! I think I have them, but it is so hard to find any information in the UK about them.

I attach photos of what I have on my acer, can anyone please confirm if this indeed these little guys?

 

[big rockpile]

Well is your Grow inside or out? Actually it looks pretty healthy but things can change fast.

I'm thinking Lady Bugs once they are done outside they are gone.

I thinking of getting some to put in my Greenhouse just for insurance.

If they are Blooming I really wouldn't spray.

big rockpile

 

[Tetters]

Welcome to the forums @Lewis noble Those are galls, but not necessarily from the parasitic wasp. Maybe you could get a close up shot so we can have a better look?

 

[Lewis noble]

Thank you. Yeah, it was a terrible photo, I'll post another one tomorrow. It is definitely those wasps (from what I can tell) I can see the hole on the rear where the wasp has emerged. Just found it fascinating ad I'd never heard of mummified aphids!

 

[big rockpile]

If it is outside hit it with hard spray of lots of insects don't like this.

I also have been spraying with a mix of

32oz. Vegetable Oil

4 Tablespoons of Dawn dish washing liquid.

And few drops of Peppermint Oil.

8 Teaspoons per gallon of water. Make sure you get under sides of leaves.

You have such an infestation of them I wonder if Predatory Insects will work.

big rockpile

 

[Tetters]

@big rockpile , I don't think you understand - this member is not wanting to kill anything at all. Lewis is just sharing something he finds interesting. Quite a lot of us prefer to let nature survive, and we garden accordingly.

@Lewis noble , I don't think it was a terrible photo, I just wanted a closer look. It is indeed fascinating how the different insects do things. Zigs made me a bee/insect hotel for a gift at Christmas time, and it has provided endless entertainment. I hadn't given mummified aphids a thought - but have seen plenty of mummified flies all wrapped up in spider webs I have been squishing aphids over the last few days with my thumb, because they have been attacking the new shoots on my pepper plants. When mentioning it to Zigs, he said (something like) those aphids are born pregnant

 

[cpp gardener]

Yes, there is a specific generation that is parthenogenetic, they are all sisters that give birth to more of their own sisters.
The aphid mummy is a good thing. It means there are wasps killing the aphids.

 

[Tetters]

Always learning... one day I might become a geek - you never know

 

[Lewis noble]

Ccp, exactly. I had loads of aphids on my tree, let nature ride its course and found out about the wasps that rid you of the infestation! Maybe I didn't explain it well enough, but the aphid mummy's are a great thing! I could only find it on YouTube from some fella in US of A. See another photo, might be a bit clearer

 

[Tetters]

I can only see two ladybirds there (with spots, top of leaf) and another on the leaf vein that looks black, and is the same size as the ladybirds.
Aphids are much smaller

So is the third picture here like your aphid mummy, and does it swell right up to ladybird size? The middle pic is how tiny the gall wasp is.
As a PS... I have only found these leaf galls on oak trees