USDA-ARS Beneficial Insect Introduction Research Unit, Newark, DE, USA.
Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA.
J Econ Entomol. 2023 Aug 10;116(4):1165-1170. doi: 10.1093/jee/toad120.
The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is an invasive woodboring pest of ash trees (Fraxinus sp.) in North America. Among the Asiatic parasitoids being released for the management of EAB in North America, Oobius agrili Zhang and Huang (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is the only EAB egg parasitoid. To date, more than 2.5 million O. agrili have been released in North America; however, few studies have examined its success as a biological control agent of EAB. We conducted studies to assess O. agrili establishment, persistence, spread, and EAB egg parasitism rates in Michigan at the earliest release sites (2007-2010), as well as at more recent release sites (2015-2016) in 3 Northeastern United States (Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York). In both regions, we documented successful O. agrili establishment at all but one release site. In Michigan, O. agrili has persisted at release sites for over a decade and spread to all control sites located 0.6-3.8 km from release sites. Overall, EAB egg parasitism ranged from 1.5% to 51.2% (mean of 21.4%) during 2016-2020 in Michigan and from 2.6% to 29.2% (mean of 16.1%) during 2018-2020 in the Northeastern states. Future research efforts should focus on factors affecting the spatiotemporal variation in EAB egg parasitism rates by O. agrili, as well as its potential range in North America.
白杨透翅蛾（EAB），Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire（鞘翅目：扁甲科），是北美的一种入侵性蛀干害虫，危害白蜡树属（Fraxinus sp.）的树木。在北美用于防治 EAB 的亚洲寄生蜂中，绿盲蝽 Oobius agrili Zhang 和 Huang（膜翅目：恩蚜小蜂科）是唯一的 EAB 卵寄生蜂。迄今为止，北美已释放了超过 250 万头 O. agrili；然而，很少有研究评估其作为 EAB 生物防治剂的成功程度。我们在美国东北部的三个州（康涅狄格州、马萨诸塞州和纽约州）的最早释放地点（2007-2010 年）以及最近的释放地点（2015-2016 年）进行了研究，以评估 O. agrili 在密歇根州的建立、持续存在、传播和 EAB 卵寄生率。在这两个地区，我们记录了除一个释放地点外，所有释放地点都成功建立了 O. agrili。在密歇根州，O. agrili 在释放地点持续存在了十多年，并传播到了距释放地点 0.6-3.8 公里的所有控制地点。总体而言，2016-2020 年期间，密歇根州的 EAB 卵寄生率在 1.5%至 51.2%（平均值为 21.4%）之间，2018-2020 年期间，东北部各州的 EAB 卵寄生率在 2.6%至 29.2%（平均值为 16.1%）之间。未来的研究工作应集中于影响 O. agrili 对白蜡树属树木 EAB 卵寄生率的时空变化的因素，以及它在北美的潜在分布范围。
