U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home News & Events News Articles Research News 2016





- ARS News & Events
- AgResearch Magazine
- Image Gallery
- News
- Search News & Events
- Pesticide Drift May Endanger Pollinators
- ARS Seeks a Fire Ant Fix
- Scientific Discoveries 2024
- ARS Featured Photos
- Down on the Farm
- Facebook Live Events
- Food and Nutrition Research Briefs
- News Archive
- Science in Your Shopping Cart
- Scientific Discoveries
- Social Media
- Under the Microscope
- AgResearch magazine
- ARS at Work
- ARS Memorial Lectures
- ARS Science Hall of Fame
- Citrus Disease (Huanglongbing)
- Contact Office of Communications
- Plant Hardiness Zone Map
- Mobile Apps
- Public Affairs Contacts
- Publications and Other Resources
- USDA Blog
- Videos

Read the magazine story to find out more.The tiny wasp Tetrastichus planipennisi The tiny wasp *Tetrastichus planipennisi* is an effective biocontrol for the emerald ash borer, an ash tree pest.For further reading
Scientists Exploit Ash Tree Pest's Chemical Communication
Developing Biocontrols to Contain a Voracious Pest
ARS Scientists Cryopreserve Pest-Imperiled Ash Trees **Tiny Wasp Battles Big Invasive Menace** By Sharon Durham May 25, 2016 A wispy wasp may pack a potent punch in the fight against the emerald ash borer (EAB), an insect pest that causes catastrophic ash tree losses in the United States. EAB has wings that are deep emerald green on the outer edge and a body underneath that’s iridescent magenta. Its stunning appearance belies the fact that it is a deadly, non-native pest that has killed tens of millions of ash trees in North America since its detection in 2002 in Detroit, Michigan, and Ontario, Canada. The cost of EAB damage is staggering. According to U.S. Forest Service estimates, responses to EAB infestation between 2009 and 2019—including treatment, removal, and replacement of more than 17 million ash trees—could total $10.7 billion. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists, along with collaborators at the University of Massachusetts, found a tiny titan—*Tetrastichus planipennisi*—that can reduce EAB population growth by a whopping 90 percent. A recent 7-year field study conducted by scientists from the Agricultural Research Service (Jian Duan), the Forest Service (Leah Bauer and Mike Ulyshen), and the University of Massachusetts (Roy van Driesche and Kris Abell) showed that the *T. planipennisi* released between 2007 and 2010 in central Michigan spread quickly and contributed to a significant reduction in EAB population growth. *T. planipennisi* parasitizes EAB larvae by drilling through the bark and laying eggs on its host. The research team observed a 90-percent decline in live EAB larvae in infested ash trees at both parasitoid-release plots and control plots. According to Duan, 7 years’ worth of field data demonstrated that the decline in EAB larvae was correlated with significant increases in EAB larval parasitism, first by native parasitoids, then by *T. planipennisi*. The study was recently published in the *Journal of Applied Ecology*. Read more about this research in the May 2016 issue of *AgResearch*.


Return to top


Research
                            Media
                            About ARS
                            Work With Us


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov