Hemlock-woolly-adelgid
Guides
Laricobius nigrinus
hemlock woolly adelgid predator beetle
Laricobius nigrinus is a small predatory beetle in the family Derodontidae, native to western North America. First described by Kenneth Fender in 1945 from Oregon specimens, it is specialized to feed on adelgids, particularly the hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae). Since 2003, it has been released as a biological control agent in the eastern United States to combat invasive adelgid populations threatening eastern and Carolina hemlock trees. The species exhibits a univoltine life cycle with aestival diapause and has established populations across multiple eastern states.
Melanips
Melanips is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Figitidae. These wasps are solitary endoparasitoids that target fly larvae, with documented association to Leucotaraxis piniperda, a silver fly used as a biological control agent for hemlock woolly adelgid. Research indicates a preference for this host species, though the specificity of this relationship remains under investigation. The genus has been recorded in Europe and is implicated in biocontrol programs in North America.
Sasajiscymnus
Sasajiscymnus is a genus of small lady beetles (Coccinellidae) established by Vandenberg in 2004. The genus contains over 100 species distributed across Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Molecular evidence suggests an origin in the Late Cretaceous, approximately 78 million years ago. The genus includes S. tsugae, which has been widely studied and deployed as a biological control agent against the hemlock woolly adelgid in North America.