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Pests & Diseases - Australia

What is eating my leafy greens?

10 years ago

I planted a raised garden bed a few months ago (trying to be organic) and got a few good months out of it, but recently the whole garden seems to be infected by these little flies and grubs. I seem to find them on the same plants so I think the grubs must be the larval stage of the fly but I'm not certain of that.

What I find is little holes all over the leaves, very small - but so many they always seem to be more hole than leaf. I'll then find some of the grubs on the back of the leaves (they're only a few millimeters long) and the flying bugs will fly up and around whenever I disturb them. If I don't pull out the plant when I find grubs, within a week or so the core of the plant will be covered in these little grubs. They started on my asian greens, and now all those have been ripped out they've moved onto the english spinach. Plants they haven't touched include celery, herbs, beetroot and kale.

I've ripped out half my garden trying to kill these things, and I'm reluctant to use chemicals without even knowing whether they'll work - so I'm wondering (actually desperately hoping!!!) If someone else can tell me what they might be. I've searched dozens of websites for what they might be but I can't seem to find them.

I have a photo of the flies if that helps - http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p764/spatchya/2013-07-09164025_zps2b8994a8.jpg

Any help is very much appreciated!

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Comments (4)

alisonoz_gw
10 years ago
I'm sorry, the link isn't working for me - it says "Sorry, the person moved or deleted this image". If you have it stored on the hard-drive of a computer you can load it into a new posting (has to be under 61k)
spadey
Original Author
10 years ago
Oh whoops, I must have posted the wrong one - apologies!

Try this link instead?

Thanks :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Bug Photo
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spadey
Original Author
10 years ago
Okay, I have just changed my mind about the grubs being an early stage of the fly - I just went out and found a huge one (well, comparatively) on the back of one of my spinach leaves.

I managed to get a shot of it (check the link below) - and you can see the larger one near the top of the picure. Handily, there's one of the size I'm used to seeing near the middle of the photo for comparison.

If anyone can identify these little buggers for me that would be amazing!

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:2116368}}
alisonoz_gw
10 years ago
I'm really not sure, but I found some info on a thing called Brassica pod midge - Dasineura brassicae - and googling up some images the adult insect does resemble yours and the larval stage also possibly. I will leave you to do some cross-checking to see what you think

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