BeneficialFungus gnat
Rove beetle, sold as Atheta for fungus gnat
Dalotia coriaria · predatory rove beetle
Against fungus gnat
UConn says the beetle prefers fungus gnat larvae and, once established, stays year round, tracking gnat numbers. It is slower to build up than the soil mite Stratiolaelaps scimitus, so suppliers advise using both. Release at dusk onto moist media and under benches. Neonicotinoid drenches killed nearly all adults in trials.
Rate0.1–2 /sq ft (about 1–22 /m²); suppliers differ
TimingAt the start of the crop, before numbers build; a breeder box keeps it going
Temperature65–80 °F (18–27 °C) best; suppliers quote 55–95 °F
macro · rove beetle, sold as atheta on fungus gnat
The pestFungus gnatBradysia spp.Larvae chewing roots in wet mediaFull pest profile →Before you order
Shaken onto moist media, benches and algae patches in greenhouses and propagation, where adults and larvae hunt fungus gnat and shore fly larvae and thrips pupae, and settle in to breed. How it works, how to tell it has established and the supplier list are on the full Dalotia coriaria profile.
Release calculator
How many do I need?
Area and infestation level in; quantity, cost and a weekly schedule out. Open the calculator →
Other controls for fungus gnat
- Steinernema feltiaeNematode · 250k–500k /m² of compost surface; about 5 million per 25 houseplants
- Stratiolaelaps scimitusPredatory mite · 100–500 /m² of compost surface (Dragonfli: 100 preventive, 500 on a heavy infestation)
- Bacillus thuringiensis israelensisMicrobial insecticide · Label rate — Gnatrol home label 1–1.5 tsp per gallon of water as a soil drench, wetting the compost surface; Mosquito Bits sprinkled over the compost and watered in
- Rove beetlesWild predator · Nothing to release — the greenhouse species Dalotia coriaria is the one sold
- Macrocheles robustulusPredatory mite · 100–500 /m² per release, repeated once or twice