Management Information
If detected very early, it may be possible to eradicate an occurrence of Erythrina gall wasp (Quadrastichus erythrinae) on an island, but such efforts have so far been unsuccessful. Eliminating or treating infested Erythrina trees growing near ports could help reduce the likelihood of the wasps spreading (Erythrina Gall Wasp 2006).
Short-term control options are limited. Experiments with pruning have not been successful, but a systemic insecticide appears to be partly effective in protecting highly valued individual trees in Hawaii. It is hoped that eventually the wasp may be brought under control by one or more biological control agents from its native range. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture and the University of Hawaii are carrying out searches in Africa where the wasp is believed to have originated. If effective biological control agents are identified, then host-range testing to ensure their safety will have to be completed before they can be released to control the gall wasp. In the meantime it is important to avoid moving Erythrina leaves or stems from infested to uninfested places. The adult wasps are tiny (1–1.6mm) and extremely abundant around heavily infested trees (Erythrina Gall Wasp 2006).
Location Specific Management InformationHawaii (United States (USA))
Honolulu Botanical Gardens are preserving seeds and cuttings of erythrina trees in a nursery (Hurley 2005). Maui Is. (United States (USA))
There has been talk of an all-out eradication effort on Maui based on a strategy of clipping leaves, mulching and tarping to beat back the onslaught, however there remain mixed opinions on the impact this may have with some believing it a waste of time and resources (Hurley 2005). For a more in depth discussion of the control of the erythrina gall wasp and its distribution on Maui please see Discussion of Erythrina gall wasp (EGW). Okinawa (Japan)
It is feared that if control measures are not put in place, the wasp could expand its range northwards where it could pose a threat to the endemic E. boninensis on the Bonin Islands. The population size of E. boninensis is already limited on the Bonin Islands (Uechi et al. 2007).
Management Resources/Links
1. Erythrina Gall Wasp (Quadrastichus erythinae), in American Samoa. 2006. Pest Alert (ISSN 1727 8473). Plant Protection Service, Secretariat of the Pacific Community. 2. Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk Project (HEAR), 2006. Species Info Quadrastichus erythrinae (Eulophidae)
Summary: The mission of the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR) is to provide technology, methods, and information to decision-makers, resource managers, and the general public to help support effective science-based management of harmful non-native species in Hawaii and the Pacific. HEAR is available from
http://www.hear.org/
This page is available from:
http://www.hear.org/species/quadrastichus_erythrinae/ 4. Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Pest Focus - February 2006 Erythrina gall wasp (Quadrastichus erythrinae) 5. Walker, K. 2007. Erythrina gall wasp (Quadrastichus erythrinae) Pest and Diseases Image Library.
Summary: PaDIL (Pests and Diseases Image Library) is a Commonwealth Government initiative, developed and built by Museum Victoria's Online Publishing Team, with support provided by DAFF (Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) and PHA (Plant Health Australia), a non-profit public company. Project partners also include Museum Victoria, the Western Australian Department of Agriculture and the Queensland University of Technology.
The aim of the project is: 1) Production of high quality images showing primarily exotic targeted organisms of plant health concern to Australia. 2)Assist with plant health diagnostics in all areas, from initial to high level. 3) Capacity building for diagnostics in plant health, including linkage developments between training and research organisations. 4)Create and use educational tools for training undergraduates/postgraduates. 5) Engender public awareness about plant health concerns in Australia.
PaDIL is available from : http://www.padil.gov.au/aboutOverview.aspx, this page is available from: http://www.padil.gov.au/viewPestDiagnosticImages.aspx?id=989 [Accessed 10 November 2007] Results Page: 1
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