Tetrastichus
Encyclopedia
Tetrastichus is a genus of hymenoptera
n insect
s of the family Eulophidae
.
Tetrastichus planipennisi
is a parasitoid
of the Emerald ash borer
, a wood boring insect native to Asia which is an invasive species in North Ammerica. T. planipennisi is being evaluated as a biological control
.
Hymenoptera
Hymenoptera is one of the largest orders of insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees and ants. There are over 130,000 recognized species, with many more remaining to be described. The name refers to the heavy wings of the insects, and is derived from the Ancient Greek ὑμήν : membrane and...
n insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s of the family Eulophidae
Eulophidae
Eulophidae is a large family of hymenopteran insects, with over 4,300 described species in some 300 genera . The family as presently defined also includes the genus Elasmus, which was previously treated as a separate family, "Elasmidae", and is now treated as a subfamily of Eulophidae...
.
Tetrastichus planipennisi
Tetrastichus planipennisi
Tetrastichus planipennisi is a parasitic non stinging wasp of family Eulophidae which is native to North Asia. It is a parasitoid of the emerald ash borer , an invasive species which has destroyed tens of millions of ash trees in its introduced range in North America...
is a parasitoid
Parasitoid
A parasitoid is an organism that spends a significant portion of its life history attached to or within a single host organism in a relationship that is in essence parasitic; unlike a true parasite, however, it ultimately sterilises or kills, and sometimes consumes, the host...
of the Emerald ash borer
Emerald ash borer
The emerald ash borer is a green beetle native to Asia.In North America the borer is an invasive species, highly destructive to ash trees in its introduced range. The potential damage of this insect rivals that of Chestnut blight and Dutch Elm Disease...
, a wood boring insect native to Asia which is an invasive species in North Ammerica. T. planipennisi is being evaluated as a biological control
Biological pest control
Biological control of pests in agriculture is a method of controlling pests that relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms...
.