Small shiny green flies on my tomato leaves

Gini · Full Member Joined: 22 Feb 2007 Posts: 32 Location: Aruba

I am seeing small (5mm)shiny(metallic) green flies on my tomato and melon leaves.

What are these and do they do any harm to my plants?How do I get rid of them?
Thank you in advance for any help...

opabinia51 · Mod Joined: 21 Oct 2004 Posts: 4676 Location: Victoria, BC

Off the top of my head, I can't think of what they might be but, given the fact that they are located on the leaves of your plants; I would assume that they are probably harvesting a nectar of some sort by inserting a proboscis into the leaves.

But, some careful observation will answer your question for you. These are a winged insects, and I'm surprised that the Neem Oil hasn't fixed this problem.

Try a mixture of soap and water and spray the leaves and stems of your plants with this mixture if these winged insects become a problem.

Technically speaking: to be flies they would have to have two sets of wings (Di = Two Ptera= Wings, flies belong to the order Diptera under the class Insecta). So, look at them and make sure that they are flies.

Dom Nizza · Last edited by Dom Nizza on Fri May 04, 2007 8:40 pm; edited 2 times in total

Gini · Full Member Joined: 22 Feb 2007 Posts: 32 Location: Aruba

wileecoyote

Dom Nizza

MaggieMD · Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 12:27 pm Post subject:

I have that type of bug on my bean plants -- I was told it was a leafhopper. I sprayed neem on them and it seemed to make them go away (of course it just rained so it probably washed the Neem off!). Here is a link to a page on leaf hoppes from the University of Maryland's Extension service home gardening information site: http://plantdiagnostics.umd.edu/level3.cfm?causeID=315
In general, I have found their web site really helpful:
http://www.hgic.umd.edu/
you can send hem email questions and they usually get right back to you.[

MaggieMD · Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 12:28 pm Post subject:

I have that type of bug on my bean plants -- I was told it was a leafhopper. I sprayed neem on them and it seemed to make them go away (of course it just rained so it probably washed the Neem off!). Here is a link to a page on leaf hoppes from the University of Maryland's Extension service home gardening information site: http://plantdiagnostics.umd.edu/level3.cfm?causeID=315
In general, I have found their web site really helpful:
http://www.hgic.umd.edu/
you can send hem email questions and they usually get right back to you.[

gbell12 · New Member Joined: 26 Sep 2009 Posts: 1

Don't spray 'em!

They're probably of the Dolichopodidae family and they prey on soft-bodied insects (ie. aphids!)

Here's a pic:
http://floridagardener.com/critters/Beneficial_Insects/Dolichopodidae.htm

And here's some info on 'em:
http://members.fortunecity.com/spam/brandberg.htm

And my pic of one snacking on a small insect!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8134262@N07/3948288555/
[img]http://www.flickr.com/photos/8134262@N07/3948288555/[/img]

I know its an old thread, but I thought I'd revive it since its coming pretty high in Google results, and these little buggers are helpful not harmful in your garden.