Sirex-noctilio
Guides
Ibalia leucospoides
knife-shaped ibalia, Sirex Ibaliid Wasp
Ibalia leucospoides is a solitary endoparasitoid wasp in the family Ibaliidae, native to the Northern Hemisphere and widely introduced to the Southern Hemisphere as a biological control agent for the invasive woodwasp Sirex noctilio. Adults are active from April to December depending on location, with a univoltine life cycle synchronized with host emergence. The species exhibits pro-ovigenic reproduction, with females emerging with a high proportion of mature eggs relative to lifetime fecundity. Adult feeding has minimal impact on egg maturation, survival, or flight capacity.
Schlettererius
Schlettererius is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Stephanidae. The best-studied species, S. cinctipes, is a parasitoid of wood-boring insects, particularly the invasive woodwasp Sirex noctilio in pine forests. Adults possess extremely long ovipositors used to drill through wood to reach host larvae. The genus has been used as a biological control agent and has shown evidence of transcontinental movement across North America, tracking the spread of its hosts.
Schlettererius cinctipes
Schlettererius cinctipes is a parasitoid wasp in the family Stephanidae, native to western North America and recently introduced to the eastern United States. It parasitizes wood-boring insects, with documented success in biological control programs against Sirex noctilio in pine plantations. The species possesses an elongated ovipositor adapted for reaching hosts deep within timber.