Parasite on Japanese beetle - Istocheta aldrichi

Moved

Moved from Japanese Beetle.
This image is a lot more valuable on the parasite page than on the Japanese beetle page.

… Beatriz Moisset, 24 September, 2011 - 7:51am

Parasitic fly

Apparently the fly Istocheta aldrichi was brought from Asia to control Japanese beetles. It must be a synonym of the one mentioned above.
More info. in this USDA website

… Beatriz Moisset, 30 September, 2005 - 9:21am

Tachinid Fly

I hand pick and drown these beetles every night and have an enormous problem with Japanese Beetles! We have honey bees so it has to be orgainc all the way! I am confused though, should I be drowning the ones with the parasite on them or not? I would think that not killing them might create more beneficial tachinid flies right? Anyone know or have a suggestion?

… dmccullough, 25 July, 2011 - 11:29am

Winsome Fly (a Tachinid Fly)

It's good to see that people saw the TV interview. The eggs hatch, and the larvae burrow into the flight muscles of the beetle. The fly larva causes the beetle to dig into the ground as it is being eaten (like something out of the movie Alien) after around 6 days. The fly then spends the rest of the season (until the non-attacked beetles emerge in July) eating and growing inside the dead beetle's body, emerging in July. It's not available commercially. The fly was introduced by the USDA and has been spreading north. The biology of the fly (timing of emergence) is PERFECT for Maine (down South it emerges too early to have much of an impact on the populations.) We saw huge numbers of zapped beetles in Orono and Southward; the previous year they were in Portland. Anyway. It's tough for me to have sympathy for the Japanese beetle...

… Colin Stewart, 8 March, 2005 - 2:40pm

I've just seen them in my yard

It took a while, but I found out what they are... Tachinid Flies

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3148/2730223182_020a89dd73_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3164/2729404337_9676de68a1_b.jpg

I was wondering what these were, but am happy to hear that they are taking care of the Japanese Beetle population. They have eaten everything in site for the last couple of years. Funny that as I am seeing these flies for the first time, the beetles aren't around anymore. yay!

… bootling, 3 August, 2008 - 8:33pm

Tachinid eggs?

I have seen the same kind of thing on true bugs, especially Coreids, and have learned they are the eggs of tachinid flies. So, that would be my first guess:-)

… Eric R. Eaton, 2 August, 2004 - 3:10pm

Japanese Beetle parasite

V J Hickey; Clay Kirby, entomologist U Maine tells me that the very cold winter caused a great decline in the Japanese beetle population in Maine, espec.in areas of little to no snow cover. The beetle has been parasitized for a few years by a Tachinid fly, Hyperecteina aldrichi, aka "Winsome fly"...ID by U Maine Ento.Dept.

… Vincent J Hickey, 7 August, 2004 - 5:46pm

I've seen the same

Interesting. I took a picture on 7/12/04 here in the Adirondacks with two eggs on its thorax looking just like these. I was hoping it meant something was parasitizing them.

… Bob Duncan, 31 July, 2004 - 1:55pm