Founding and maintaining a seedcorn maggot (Delia platura) colony

Delia platura (Meigen) (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) is a generalist dipteran pest that attacks germinating seeds of cucurbits, crucifers, legumes, and among others. Delia platura can cause economically important damage in early spring that leads to stand losses in temperate regions. Thus, researching the biology and behavior of this pest and running bioassays with different life stages is essential to developing effective management strategies. Maintaining D. platura colonies allows for laboratory and field experiments to occur outside of the growing season. However, current rearing protocols yield high mortality rates at the egg stage and have been difficult to replicate. Here, we present an updated protocol for reduced offspring mortality, improved colony health, and greater ease of maintenance.