Delphastus are voracious beetles that eat white fly eggs and larvae. They are applied as adults and begin working immediately. May be used with Encarsia formosa. DELPHASTUS PUSILLUS USE: Delphastus is a small, shiny, black beetle, about one quarter the size of a ladybug, that feeds on several species of whitefly including greenhouse, sweet potato (silverleaf), and avocado whitefly. If whitefly are not present they will also feed on spider mites. Both the adult beetle and larvae are predators and will eat whitefly eggs and larvae, but not adult whiteflies. RELEASE: The Delphastus should be released in the cool of the evening, just after sundown. Gently shake them out of the vial in areas of whitefly infestation. If it is very cool during release they will not be moving very much, but their activity will increase with temperature. Be careful they don’t all come out on the first shake. If immediate release is not possible, keep them in a cool place but do NOT refrigerate. COVERAGE: Average coverage is 1 Delphastus per 10 to 25 square feet of planted area, or up to 50 square feet in outdoor landscapes. 25 beetles should cover about 250 to 500 square feet. LIFE CYCLE: The female Delphastus beetle is all black (males have brown heads) and will lay about 200 eggs during her lifetime of approximately 60 days. The clear eggs hatch into light yellow/green larvae and will begin eating 100 to 200 whitefly eggs per day. After 2 to 3 weeks they form a cocoon and emerge as adults about 6 days later. The adults are capable of eating several hundred whitefly eggs and larvae per day. RECOMMENDATIONS: Be sure to release the Delphastus at the first signs of white fly. Their activity increases with temperature, but adults can tolerate temperatures from 45 to 100 degrees. GENERAL INFORMATION: Delphastus works well with other whitefly predators and parasites such as Encarsia Formosa and Green Lacewings and may be used along with them. IMPORTANT NOTICE-PLEASE READ!!!: Most live beneficial insect, snail and worm orders received before Thursday noon, are processed on the following Friday and shipped out the following Monday or Tuesday via UPS. After that time, they are sent in the next week's batch. They are not sent from this location, they are sent from the rearing facilities. Rush orders cannot be accepted for live insects. Expect a 10-14 day delivery for most shipments. If you do not live in the Western U.S., it is recommended you choose UPS 3 day delivery or better. IF YOU LIVE EAST OF THE ROCKIES AND HAVE NOT CHOSEN UPS 3 DAY OR FASTER, WE WILL AUTOMATICALLY SEND IT THAT WAY AND YOU WILL BE CHARGED EXTRA FOR THAT METHOD. There will still be the same 1-2 week wait for them to be sent out, but they will go by the recommended method. Multiple orders which include live insects with other merchandise such as toys and candy, may have additional shipping and handling fees added to cover the additional cost of two shipments. The merchandise (other than the live animals) will be sent ground, the live insects will be sent 3 day or better. Live insects may only be shipped within the Continental United States (may not be shipped to Hawaii) unless you provide an import permit from your Agriculture Dept.. |
| (310) 318-1389 We offer secure online ordering. RealCoolToys.com has a $25.00 minimum purchase requirement for phone orders. PLEASE READ our "Answers to your questions" page: realcooltoys.com/info for our usual shipping methods, process times and return policy. E-MAIL : realcooltoys@kathyscritters.com
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