Leptocybe invasa Fisher & La Salle

(Life: Kingdom: Metazoa (animals); Phylum: Arthropoda; Class: Hexapoda; Order: Hymenoptera; Superfamily: Chalcidoidea; Family: Eulophidae; Subfamily: Tetrastichinae)

Leptocybe invasa Fisher & La Salle, 2004

Figs 2–7. Leptocybe invasa female: (2) forewing; (3) antenna; (4) head, frontal view; (5) head, dorsal view; (6) head and mesosoma, lateral view; (7) gaster, lateral view (from Mendel et al. 2004).

Figs 8–11. Leptocybe invasa female: (8) mesosoma; (9) head and mesoscutum; (10) mesoscutum; (11) scutellum, dorsellum and propodeum (from Mendel et al. 2004).

Figs 12–16. Gall formation in Leptocybe invasa: (12) leaf 3 days after oviposition showing white secretions from the oviposition wounds; (13) leaf after 3 weeks, showing early stages of gall formation; (14) gall after 6–7 weeks; (15–16) mature galls, showing exit holes (from Mendel et al. 2004).

Figs 17–20. Development of Leptocybe invasa: (17) gall cut open to show 10-week old L. invasa larvae; (18) gall cut open to show a mature L. invasa larva; (19) gall cut open to show mature L. invasa pupae; (20) adult L. invasa emerging from gall (from Mendel et al. 2004).

Distribution	An Australian species first recorded in Middle East and Mediterranean region in 2000, has since spread down through Africa, reaching South Africa in 2007.
Biology	Devastates Euclayptus plantations by forming galls on leaves, deforming foliage and stunting growth.
Control	No effective measures established. Insecticides have some effect in preventing infestations on nursery saplings. There is potential for implementation of biocontrol through introduction of suitable parasitoid agents, and/or selection of resistant tree genotypes.
Links	Web site: http://www.fabinet.up.ac.za/tpcp/Leptocybe_alert
References	Costa, V.A., Berti Filho, E., Wilcken, C.F., Stape, J.L., La Salle, J. & Teixeira, L. de D. 2008. Eucalyptus gall wasp, Leptocybe invasa Fisher & La Salle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in Brazil: New forest pest reaches the New World. Revista de Agricultura (Piracicaba), 83: 136-139. Kim, I.-K., Mendel, Z., Protasov, A., Blumberg, D. & La Salle, J. 2008. Taxonomy, biology and efficacy of two Australian parasitoids of the eucalyptus gall wasp, Leptocybe invasa Fisher & La Salle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Tetrastichinae). Zootaxa, 1910: 1-20. Mendel, Z., Protasov, A., Fisher, N. & La Salle, J. 2004. The taxonomy and natural history of Leptocybe invasa (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) gen & sp. nov., an invasive gall inducer on Eucalyptus. Australian Journal of Entomology 43: 101–113. Protasov, A., Doğanlar, M., La Salle, J., Mendel, Z. 2008. Occurrence of two local Megastigmus species parasitic on the Eucalyptus gallwasp Leptocybe invasa in Israel and Turkey. Phytoparasitica, 36(5): 449-459. van Noort, S. & Picker, M. 2011. Wasps, Bees, Ants. Class Insecta, Order Hymenoptera. Pp 140-146. In: Picker, M. & Griffiths, C. (eds.) Alien & Invasive Animals. A South African perspective. Struik Nature.
Credits	Photographs © Mendel, Protasov, Fisher & La Salle.

Web author Simon van Noort (Iziko South African Museum)

Leptocybe invasa Fisher & La Salle

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