Biological control of eucalyptus Gall wasp, Leptocybe invasa Fisher & La Salle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in Punjab, India

Abstract

In this investigation, biological control of eucalyptus Gall wasp, Leptocybe invasa Fisher & La Salle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in Punjab, India was investigated. The genus Leptocybe Fisher & La Salle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) was founded with its type species, L. invasa from Israel in 2004. Adult wasps of L. invasa   induce galls on the shoots and midribs of leaves of Eucalyptus sp. and also damage nursery seedlings and young plantations. In the present study, survey was carried out from the year 2012 to 2014, on gall wasp infestation in different eucalyptus growing areas of Punjab. Observations  revealed  that  eucalyptus  growing  areas  in  Punjab were  under  the threat  of  attack  by  gall  wasp,  L. invasa.  During the present study, biological control agents Megastimus viggianii and Quadrastichus mendeli have been successfully applied in the gall infested areas of Punjab, from 2012 to 2017, where infestation of gall wasp was regularly decreased and came below 10 % by July, 2017. Consequently, Eucalyptus gall forming insect L. invasa has been controlled successfully by applying the biological control through releasing the parasitoids (Megastimus viggianii and Quadrastichus mendeli), in Punjab, India.