How do you know if parasitoids are active in your canola crop? One of the easiest signs to look for is an aphid mummy, a dead aphid that has been parasitised. Aphid mummies are the swollen, slightly hardened aphid shells with a distinctive bronze-golden colour. In this field survey back in August, Kelly is finding plenty of mummies throughout the crop. Her hot tip? Start with the lowest leaves, where aphids and their mummies are often found first. 🔍 🤔 Did you know a parasitised aphid only becomes a visible mummy at the end of the parasitoid’s development? That means the level of biological control may be greater than the number of mummies suggests! So finding even a few mummies is a useful sign that parasitoids are active in the crop. And if you want to know what’s actually happening inside those mummies, stay tuned for our next update. Parasitoid biology gets pretty gruesome! 👀