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Update on EAB biocontrol: release and recovery of Spathius agrili and discovery of new potential biocontrol agents in Asia

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Spathius agrili is a gregarious, idiobiont parasitoid that was discovered attacking the emerald ash borer (EAB) in Tianjin City, China. Parasitism rates ranged from 30 to 90 percent on velvet ash, which is native to the southwestern United States. Spathius agrili females find their hosts by listening for the sound of feeding larvae. They insert their ovipositor through the bark, paralyze the EAB larva, and deposit up to 20 eggs. The parasitoid larvae develop outside the EAB larva, spin cocoons, and emerging adults chew through the bark to emerge. This parasitoid can develop through three generations per year compared to one for the EAB host.

Parent Publication

Citation

Gould, Juli I.; Yang, Fraser Z.; Wang, X.; Mastro, V.; Williams, D. 2009. Update on EAB biocontrol: release and recovery of Spathius agrili and discovery of new potential biocontrol agents in Asia
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/34368