Pacific Pests, Pathogens, Weeds & Pesticides - Online edition

Pacific Pests, Pathogens, Weeds & Pesticides

Erythrina gall wasp (268)


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Summary

  • Worldwide distribution. On Erythrina species. There are more than 100 species worldwide in tropical and sub-tropical countries, and they are used as ornamentals, living fences, and also as shade trees. An important pest.
  • Eggs are laid in the shoots, and larvae cause leaves to deform and fall; repeated attacks cause dieback and tree death. Seedlings attacked, leading to species loss.
  • Spread occurs by flight on the wind and, perhaps, on leaves on boats and planes.
  • Natural enemies: parasitoid wasp collected in Africa, introduced and found effective in Hawaii.
  • Cultural control: none recommended..
  • Chemical control: none recommended, except imidacloprid injection of especially valuable trees. [Note, in some countries, control is controversial: Erythrina is the food of fruit piercing moth larvae, in others it is a valuable native tree.]

Common Name

Erythrina gall wasp

Scientific Name

Quadrastichus erythrinae


AUTHOR Grahame Jackson
Information from Heu RA, et al. (2008) Erythrina erythrinae Kim (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). New Pest Advisory. No. 05-03. State of Hawaii, Department of Agriculture; and from CABI (2015) Quadrastichus erythrinae (Erythrina gall wasp). Crop Protection Compendium (https://www.cabi.org/cpc/restricted/?target=%2fcpc%2fdatasheet%2f46220); and from Hawaii Invasive Species Council (2019) Invasive species: Erythrina gall wasp (Quadrastichus erythrinae). (https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/info/biocontrol/latest-biocontrol/erythrina-gall-wasp/). Photos 1&2 Albert (Bud) Mayfield, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org. Photo 3 Albert (Bud) Mayfield, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org. Photo 4 Richard Markham, ACIAR, Canberra. Photo 5 Erich G. Vallery, USDA Forest Service - SRS-4552, Bugwood.org.

Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project PC/2010/090: Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

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