Koppert relaunches effective soil-dwelling predatory mite

Koppert will be relaunching the soil-dwelling predatory mite Hypoaspis aculeifer onto the market at the end of this year. Thanks to a greatly improved production method, we are now once again able to supply this very effective natural enemy. The reintroduction of this predatory mite allows Koppert to offer the market a full range of subterranean natural enemies of pests including thrips, sciarid flies and the bulb mite.

Hypoaspis aculeifer (brand name Entomite-A) combats thrips and sciarid flies and is also very effective in dealing with bulb mites. The production of this soil-dwelling predatory mite is a complex process. Following extensive research, Koppert has succeeded in improving the production method to such an extent that efficient production and reliable supply are now possible.

The packaging has also been improved. Koppert supplies the product in a newly-developed cardboard cylinder packaging (containing 50,000 predatory mites) using only vermiculite as a carrier material. The company has switched to this packaging material because it guarantees the quality of the mites better and for longer, and the population remains at optimum levels. Hypoaspis aculeifer also searches for its prey in the deeper layers of the soil.

Entomite-M

In addition to Hypoaspis aculeifer, for the purposes of the subterranean combating of pests Koppert also has the soil-dwelling predatory mites Hypoaspis miles and Macrocheles robustulus available.

Hypoaspis miles (brand name Entomite-M) is a powerful natural enemy of sciarid flies and has a strong side effect on Duponchelia fovealis. Springtails, thrips pupae, and nematodes are also on its menu. Hypoaspis miles is now also supplied in a new cardboard cylinder containing 50,000 beneficials, and in a bottle containing 10,000 beneficials with a mixture of vermiculite and peat as a carrier material.

Compared with Hypoaspis aculeifer, Hypoaspis miles remains closer to the soil surface.

Macro-Mite

Of all the subterranean beneficials, Macrocheles robustulus (Macro-Mite) has the broadest effects, tackling thrips pupae, the eggs, larvae, and pupae of the sciarid fly, and white worms (important in Phalaenopsis). It also preys on the eggs of Duponchelia fovealis, the eggs of the cabbage fly, and other insects and nematodes. Koppert supplies Macro-Mite in a cardboard cylinder (containing 50,000 mites), with vermiculite as a carrier material. Like Hypoaspis aculeifer, Macrocheles robustulus can be found in the deeper layers of the soil. Its population responds very quickly to pests in the soil.

With Hypoaspis aculeifer, Hypoaspis miles and Macrocheles robustulus, Koppert now offers a full range of natural enemies of soil infestations with even better quality thanks to the cardboard cylinder packaging.

New name

Because of new taxonomic insights, the Latin names of the two Entomite products will be changed in the near future. Hypoaspis aculeifer (Entomite-A) will be renamed to Geolaelaps aculeifer and Hypoaspis miles (Entomite-M) to Stratiolaelaps scimitus. It is a name change only, the mites themselves are unchanged.