This crossed my desk today.
Quick summary: Oregon Department of Agriculture is distributing Trissolcus japonicus, common name "Samurai wasp", because it is an egg parasite of Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. The wasp was being studied for possible release as a bio-control, when it was found in the wild anyway. With the wasp already spreading slowly, it is now being actively distributed to speed the process.
"The US government is giving out free wasps"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIfC4Aj05Ps
--Rik
PS. Steve Valley at https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... 56#p254456 notes that DNA analysis showed that the wild and lab strains of the wasp were not the same.
"The US government is giving out free wasps"
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Re: "The US government is giving out free wasps"
Luckily, the Marmorated stink bug has not arrived here officially... yet. A very nasty invasive species. I know Alberta Agriculture and Ag Canada has been setting up traps particularly along main travel routes and campsites where travellers are most likely to spend time. I personally think the insect is here, just undiscovered.
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Re: "The US government is giving out free wasps"
For some unknown reason the presence of Stink Bugs in our house has significantly declined. Where two years ago it was common as the temperatures fell to capture ten to twelve daily, it now hovers at about one a week, if that.
Mike
Mike
Michael Reese Much FRMS EMS Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
Re: "The US government is giving out free wasps"
It is plentiful in Abbotsford, BC. I keep taking photos instead of squashing them. Call in the cavalry, tiny as they are and I'll photograph/video them too.AIP wrote:the Marmorated stink bug has not arrived here officially
Re: "The US government is giving out free wasps"
Oh, good! I'm gonna get me some guv'ment wasps. I just hate the stink bugs.
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Re: "The US government is giving out free wasps"
Sad to say but I guess in this day and age, being entomologically insensitive to Stink bugs is not all that unusual. We have loads of them around here too. Sitting here in the quiet of home, immersed in reading about things that I surely will fail to understand, e.g. quantum entanglement, they sound like WWII bombers flying missions through the living room.
Re: "The US government is giving out free wasps"
The native species are welcome, the invasive pests have to go. Samsung A5, one month ago.