“Sphaerophoria-System” is the only biocontrol product based on the endemic syrphid Sphaerophoria rueppellii. Sphaerophoria-system by Biobest has been marketed as a result of the close collaboration with BioNostrum, a start-up from the University of Alicante.
This innovative solution offers up new possibilities in terms of controlling aphids, in particular for crops of sweet peppers, aubergines, strawberries, and other small fruits and various ornamental crops.

Product description:
Sphaerophoria-System is available in 125ml bottles containing the number of pupae required for 100 adult flies to emerge. The pupae are contained in strips of paper.

A product that is easy to use:
Sphaerophoria-System is quick to put in place. You just need to place the bottle in a Biobox attached to a plant and then open the cover. Thanks to their flying capacity, the adult S.rueppelli which come out of the bottle in the next 48 hours will cover all the crops. This means there is only one release point per bottle.

A solution which suits many situations:
Sphaerophoria rueppellii is a syrphid native to Europe and Mediterranean countries. It is active between 12 and 40°C, and its optimum temperature range is 25-35°C. Activity can however decrease in the autumn when the days are much shorter. Sphaerophoria rueppellii complete their full biological cycle near flowers providing pollen and nectar. The use of additional flowering plants to further support populations of S. rueppelli is also possible.

Biology of the biocontrol agent:
The adults feed on pollen and nectar, while the larvae are voracious predators of the main species of aphids. They can also survive by feeding on other pests such as whiteflies, thrips and spider mites.
Adult females lay oval grey-white coloured eggs, directly in aphid colonies. A female can lay up to 20 eggs per day with a total of 400 eggs throughout her life. A larva emerges from each of these eggs which feeds on nearby aphids. During the larval stage, which lasts 9 days at 25°C, one single S. rueppellii larva can consume up to 200 aphids.

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