“Down Under” Emigré

November 18, 2015

Sometimes a beautiful insect is not a welcome guest in a garden.  This species of Eucalyptus Longhorned Borer was first documented in California in 1995 and is now well established throughout the state; along with non-native plants come non-native insects.  Luckily, this very large beetle is so closely associated with eucalyptus that it is not known to use any other tree species as a host.  But when non-native insects find themselves with no natural predators, they can run rampant. To combat this particular beetle, natural enemies of the borer (Avetianella longoi, a Phoracantha sp. host-specific wasp) were introduced from Australia and have reduced the number of trees this borer kills.  Lets hope these “natural enemies” stick to attacking only Eucalyptus Longhorned Borers…

Eucalyptus Longhorned Borer - Phoracantha recurva Eucalyptus Longhorned Borer – Phoracantha recurva

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