Laricobius erichsonii

Rosenhauer, 1846

Laricobius erichsonii is a small predatory in the , to Europe and the sole European representative of the . It has been to North America as a agent for the balsam (Adelges piceae), with releases in eastern Canada since 1933 and in Oregon and Washington from 1957–1960. The is one of the more numerous of A. piceae in its native range. It belongs to the widespread Holarctic group within Laricobius, characterized by an elongate body and transverse, fully explanate .

Laricobius erichsonii by (c) Sandy Rae, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Laricobius erichsonii: //læˈrɪˌkoʊbiəs ˌɛˈrɪkˌsoʊnaɪ//

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Identification

Distinguished from other Laricobius by its Holarctic : elongate body form with transverse, fully explanate . Differs from the southeastern Asian group, which has more shortened species with narrower pronota lacking explanate margins. A was designated by Leschen (2011) to stabilize .

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Habitat

Coniferous forests; distribution bound to that of Coniferae supporting its .

Distribution

to Europe: from the Italian Alps to near southern Denmark, and from Normandy eastward almost to the Carpathian Mountains. to the Atlantic Provinces of Canada since 1933, and to Oregon and Washington, USA from 1957–1960, where it survived winters and showed promise of permanent establishment.

Diet

of , specifically the balsam (Adelges piceae).

Host Associations

  • Adelges piceae - balsam ; primary target of introductions
  • Coniferae - plants of ; distribution bound to these conifers

Ecological Role

agent; of balsam in both European range and North .

Human Relevance

Deployed as a agent against the balsam in Canada and the western United States. One of four that survived winters and showed promise of permanent establishment in Oregon and Washington.

Similar Taxa

  • Laricobius nigrinusBoth are used for , but L. nigrinus is to western North America and targets hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae), while L. erichsonii is European and targets balsam (A. piceae). L. nigrinus has been widely released in eastern North America since 2003.
  • Laricobius osakensisBoth are agents for , but L. osakensis is to Japan and specifically targets hemlock woolly adelgid (A. tsugae), whereas L. erichsonii is European and targets balsam (A. piceae). L. osakensis releases in the U.S. began in 2012.
  • Laricobius rubidus to eastern North America and a of ; distinguished from the L. erichsonii by native range and association with eastern forest .

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