Biological Control of Invasive Gall Wasps

Invasive gall wasps, notably the Asian chestnut gall wasp (Dryocosmus kuriphilus) and the erythrina gall wasp (Quadrastichus erythrinae), have inflicted substantial damage on forestry and ornamental trees worldwide. Conventional chemical and cultural controls often prove costly, environmentally detrimental or insufficient in preventing spread. Biological control offers a sustainable alternative by harnessing natural enemies—principally specialised parasitoid wasps—to suppress pest populations. Classical approaches involve the importation and release of host-specific parasitoids such as Torymus sinensis, whereas conservation biocontrol seeks to bolster indigenous parasitoid communities through habitat management. Integrating resistant or less susceptible host cultivars further enhances pest suppression. Recent advances have elucidated parasitoid–host dynamics, dispersal patterns of both pests and agents, and the influence of climatic factors on efficacy. These insights underpin best practices for quarantine protocols, release strategies and monitoring frameworks, aiming to restore ecological balance and protect chestnut, coral tree and other valuable hosts against gall-inducing pests.

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Biological Control of Invasive Gall Wasps publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in biological control of invasive gall wasps across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Biological control: The use of living organisms, such as parasitoids or predators, to reduce pest populations.

Parasitoid: An insect that develops on or within a single host organism, eventually causing its death.

Invasive species: A non-native organism that spreads rapidly, often causing ecological or economic harm.

Gall: A plant growth induced by an insect or other organism, providing nutrition and shelter for the invader.

Inquiline: An organism that lives within the gall of another species, sometimes at the expense of its gall-maker.

References

1. Torymus sinensis Kamijo, a biocontrol agent against the invasive chestnut gall wasp Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu in Spain: its natural dispersal from France and the first data on establishment after experimental releases. Forest Systems (FS) (2019).
2. Diversity and surge in abundance of native parasitoid communities prior to the onset of Torymus sinensis on the Asian chestnut gall wasp (Dryocosmus kuriphilus) in Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary. Journal of Forestry Research (2020).
3. Differences in native and introduced chalcid parasitoid communities recruited by the invasive chestnut pest Dryocosmus kuriphilus in two Iberian territories. Bulletin of Entomological Research (2020).
4. The Erythrina Gall Wasp Quadrastichus erythrinae (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Eulophidae): Invasion History, Ecology, Infestation and Management. Forests (2021).