2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Sage gall midge lives in the southern regions of Russia and damages mainly clary sage. The larvae feeding on sage plantings damage the ovaries, which subsequently darken and dry out. And the walls of the flower cups at the same time noticeably grow and are strongly deformed. Flower twigs attacked by sage gall midges shorten and in most cases dry out. If the sage is inhabited by disgusting pests strongly enough, then the growth of plants stops, they themselves are deformed, and the flowers on them do not bloom at all
Meet the pest
The size of the adults of sage gall midges averages 2 - 3 mm. Each pest is endowed with long legs and antennae and has fourteen segments. The size of the bodies of females is somewhat larger than the size of the bodies of males. Also, females differ from males by the presence of ovipositor and well-developed abdomens.
Freshly laid eggs of harmful parasites are small, oval and colored in light brownish tones. And literally on the second day, all eggs become opaque, and embryos are perfectly visible through them.
The oblong larvae are always orange-black. They are characterized by segmentation, compaction and narrowing. Each larva forms white spiderweb cocoons, in which they will subsequently pupate. Free pupae, growing up to 3 mm, are endowed with orange-black abdomens and rudiments of antennae, wings, legs, and heads.
Sage gall midges overwinter in the surface soil layer in the larval stage. In May, the imago years have already started. Usually it falls on the initial stage of sage budding, when the thermometer rises to eighteen to nineteen degrees. Eggs are laid by females in buds and on bracts, protected from direct sunlight. Moreover, they can be deposited either one at a time or in groups. The total fertility of females reaches from seventeen to two hundred and five eggs. If the air temperature is from twenty to twenty-two degrees, then embryonic development is completed in two to three days.
The hatched larvae make their way into the tiny buds, down to the very flowers and flower twigs, and the vast majority of them are concentrated inside the flower cups. Often up to thirty-seven larvae can be observed in one cup.
The mass of inflorescences damaged by sage gall midges decreases by about 15 - 70%. The number of healthy flower cups with the highest content of valuable essential oil is reduced by 30 - 90%, while the mass fraction of essential oils is reduced from one and a half to eight times. Therefore, it is very important to timely identify the appearance of sage gall midges in the area and begin to fight them as quickly as possible. If you ignore the visit of uninvited guests, all previous efforts will quickly become in vain.
Most of the harmful larvae pupate in sage inflorescences in May and June. And in a year, harmful parasites can give up to four to five generations. The larvae of the last generation move into the soil with the onset of August and September until the next spring.
How to fight
Growing sage in the same area is only allowed for two years. After this period, another place must be chosen for planting this crop. It is also necessary to observe the spatial isolation of sage plantings from each other, not only of different growing years, but also of different varieties with unequal flowering periods. And after harvesting the sage, it is recommended to carry out deep plowing of the areas.
If the population of sage by sage gall midges is too high, then at the beginning of the budding stage the sage plantings are treated with insecticides.
Recommended:
Tiny Currant Flower Gall Midge
Currant flower gall midge inhabits almost the entire territory of Russia. And it harms the plantings of black currant. Buds damaged by pests grow unnaturally, turn orange-black and die pretty quickly. Sometimes they can be painted in a pale yellow color with a slight lilac tint. Only one generation of currant flower gall midges manages to develop per year, but this is more than enough to lose a significant part of the berry harvest
Dangerous Pear Fruit Gall Midge
Pear fruit gall midge, which damages young pear fruits, is found almost everywhere. Fruits, attacked by voracious larvae, first grow at an incredible speed, significantly outstripping healthy ones in size. And after the larvae, which have eaten them entirely, begin to move into the soil, the brown damaged pears shrivel and crack, and after a while they completely dry out. If you do not fight this garden pest, crop losses can easily reach 50
Long-legged Raspberry Stem Gall Midge
Raspberry stem gall midge is almost ubiquitous and is very fond of raspberries and blackberries. As a result of the vigorous activity of these voracious parasites, bizarre spindle-shaped galls begin to form on raspberry shoots, the width of which is about 20 mm, and the length is about 30 mm. As a rule, such formations are characterized by a hard surface, and from the inside, the galls are filled with a loose tissue resembling sawdust. Gradually, the shoots attacked by pests die off, which cannot but say
Dangerous Raspberry Shoot Gall Midge
Raspberry sprout gall midge loves to feast on not only raspberries - it can often be found on strawberries with blackberries. And she lives in almost all regions where these juicy fragrant berries are grown. The larvae are especially harmful to the shoots - in the places of their feeding, the formation of brownish specks begins, which subsequently turn black and grow, covering rather impressive areas of the shoots. The damaged areas are gradually colonized by saprophytic fungi, and the shoot bark begins to shake off
We Fight Currant Shoot Gall Midge
Currant shoot gall midge lives mainly in the forest-steppe and woodlands and damages the fragrant currant. The middle zone of Russia is a fertile habitat for these parasites. The most favorable conditions for the development of these enemies of currants are wet areas, on which a moderate temperature regime is established with the beginning of the growing season. The main harm is caused by the larvae of currant eaters - in addition to eating plant tissues, they are also quite poisonous
