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                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit: Newark, DE
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The Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit conducts research to help manage invasive insect pests by introducing effective natural enemies from the pest’s native range. This approach (classical or introduction biological control) can lead to permanent reductions in pest populations.
 The dime shows the tiny size of Trissolcus japonicus (the samurai wasp), an egg parasitoid of the brown marmorated stink bug. It has become established and is spreading in the U.S. and is expected to help reduce populations of stink bug.
 We provided essential quarantine services for ARS CRIS projects as well as several ARS cooperators.  These activities included receipts of a total of 131 permitted consignments, consisting of 16607 pest specimens, and 1298 parasitoids in 10 genera, and sending 31 outgoing shipments with 17913 pest specimens, and 331,563 parasitoids in 5 genera.
 Emerald ash borer threatens to kill millions of ash trees unless controlled. One of the exotic natural enemy candidates is Tetrastichus planipennisi, a parasitic wasp that has widely established in the introduced areas, causing 36 – 85% parasitism in ash saplings.
 A parasitic wasp, *Aphelinus asychis*, laying an egg in the Russian wheat aphid, *Diuraphis noxia*, a pest of wheat and barley in the western USA. This pest is for the most part under control with a combination of resistant plant varieties and biological control by another parasitic wasp, *Aphelinus atriplicis,* that we introduced from Europe to control this aphid.  Photo by Professor Angela De Farias.
 AgDay at UDel - Our insects generate lots of curiosity from  stakeholders


Mission


People Aparicio, Ellen Duan, Jian Holmes, Brenda Hopper, Keith Kaser, Joseph Lanier, Kathryn Saunders, Linda Schmude, Jonathan Schramm, Spiro Tatman, Daria Wang, Xingeng Wildonger, Jeffrey


Northeast Area   Xingeng.Wang@usda.gov


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