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Hello,

I am looking for a source of pupae of Episyrphus balteatus or a similar aphidophagous species found in the NE/North-central US. I am conducting research in Michigan, USA, on the interaction between pest control and pollination in diversified farming systems. I plan to use the flies in enclosure experiments in the field; they would not be released. I see that E. balteatus is commercially available in Europe, but haven't found a source in the US. If you know of any, I would greatly appreciate the help. Alternatively, if there aren't any commercially available aphidophagous species, any tips on captive rearing would also be appreciated.

Thank you,
Gordon

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Gordon Fitch
PhD Student
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Michigan
gmfitch@umich.edu