| Ophelimus maskelli | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Galls on Eucalyptus caused by Ophelimus maskelli | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Eulophidae |
| Genus: | Ophelimus |
| Species: | O. maskelli |
| Binomial name | |
| Ophelimus maskelli (Ashmead, 1900) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Ophelimus maskelli is a species of chalcid wasp about 1mm long, known as the eucalyptus gall wasp, indigenous to Australia and New Zealand, and invasive in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, North Africa, South Africa, tropical Asia (from Vietnam to Indonesia), and the United States (California).[1] It is considered a plant pest as females lay eggs on immature eucalyptus leaves; the larvae produce galls on the leaves. Heavy infestations induce much galling which causes widespread defoliation and loss of growth. Wasps may emerge in large numbers in the spring, forming clouds which are a nuisance to humans.[2]
In Australia and Israel members of the genus of fairy wasps, Stethynium, were being investigated in 2006 as possible biological control agents for Ophelimus maskelli.[3] Releases of three parasitoids in Israel were successful in greatly reducing the numbers of O. maskelli, though only two of these parasitoids - Closterocerus chamaeleon (Eulophidae), and Stethynium ophelimi (Mymaridae) - subsequently proliferated and spread through the Mediterranean Basin, where they have proven to be excellent biological control agents.[1]
References
- 1 2 Zvi Mendel, Alex Protasov, John La Salle, Daniel Blumberg, David Brand, Manuela Branco (2017) Classical biological control of two Eucalyptus gall wasps; main outcome and conclusions. Biological Control 105: 66-78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2016.11.010
- ↑ "Ophelimus maskelli". Agri.huji.ac.il. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
- ↑ John T. Huber; Zvi Mendel; Alex Protasov; John La Salle (2006). "Two new Australian species of Stethynium (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), larval parasitoids of Ophelimus maskelli (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) on Eucalyptus" (PDF). Journal of Natural History. 40 (32–34): 1909–1921. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.514.8818. doi:10.1080/00222930601046428. ISSN 1464-5262.