Cattleya Flies

The Cattleya fly is among the most potentially devastating insects that couldinject themselves into your precious orchids. In fact, this insect is closely associated with orchids rather than any other type of plant, as you might guess from its scientific name, Eurytoma orchidearum.

Cattleya flies inject their eggs into the orchid plant's young growths. The eggs hatch and then nymphs (or maggots) hatch and begin to feed voraciously. These nymphs soon swell to a huge size within the orchid's bulbs. One signal that these maggots are doing their dirty work is that the bulbs will swell becoming club-shaped at the location where the pests are eating.

Eventually, the hungry little nymphs are changed into adult flies, which eat their way through the fleshy bulbs to freedom. Adult flies are deep black, have clear wings, and are approximately a quarter inch in length. Unfortunatelyy, by the time you see them it might be too late to save some of your plants. Nonetheless, you should try to kill the flies before they get a chance to inject their eggs into your remaining healthy plants.

If some of your orchids are already infected, the best course of action is to cut away any bulbs you see that are abnormally swollen. Then simply drop the nymph or maggot into a container of water to drown it. It is discouraging to have to slice away a plant's promising young growth, but it is better than leaving your other plants exposed to attack by the pest. With some luck, that plant that you did surgery to will produce a new bulb in place of the old one.

Here's a little good news, though, as far as these nasty little pests. They are actually not very common, and most orchid cultivators will never encounter them. Still, it makes good sense to inspect every new orchid for the tell-tale signs of these flies and their maggots. Besides looking out for abnormally enlarged bulbs where the fly's nymphs might be eating, inspect for tiny holes where a female fly's ovipositor might have inserted her eggs into the orchid. Absent such signs, you probably do not have a Cattleya fly problem.

To be really successful growing orchids it is important to know how to deal with all of the various threats to your plants, including insects. It is not as hard to grow orchids as many people believe, if you ground yourself in basic knowledge of these spellbinding plants.

The most complete guidebook to 21st-century orchid cultivation, many growers agree, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded over the Internet. Howard's delightful guide will provide a thorough education on the subject. Also, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets website, which features an ever-expanding database of information on many facets of orchid cultivation.