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Today's L.A. Times has this story of invasive species damage in Hawaii and a plan to fight it by introducing another invasive species. Wasps 1/3 the size of mosquitos?
(must copy and paste this link!)
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/...nes-nation
(must copy and paste this link!)
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Assume the best and ask questions.
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I get "Page not found".
Those wasps work really well for white flies. They used them in OC, CA to get rid of ash white flies over a large area and seemed to have worked. I've used them in Colorado to save my grape vine from white flies. They didn't help with the coddling moths, but Hopefully they will work for the wiliwili trees. I swear I never saw one of the wasps, but the white flies disappeared.
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Ooops! Found the article elsewhere and the wasps ARE the problem. I hope it is a different variety. Maybe we can attack them with white flies?
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The forum software does not let the entire link get copied.
Copy and past the full line of the link in Rob's message and then paste it into your browser. You will find the article.
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Yeah after nearly all of them are dead, they come up with some half brained idea of inviting another bug that don't belong here..
But, do these wasps like Coquies?
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The wasp is the Erythrina Gall Wasp (Wiliwili trees are in the Erythrina genus). The wasp moved from the Madagascar area (off eastern Africa) to Hawaii in one year, which is more like the speed of an influenza virus rather than an insect pest. They were determined to have affected Erythrina trees all along the way (India, SE Asia, Samoa, etc.). Interestingly, they don't have a significant effect on the Erythrina species in Eastern Africa, where a suspected relative species of wasp was found. Here, they have been mostly affecting a non-native form of Erythrina, a tall form used for windbreaks and to line property lines. The native species of Erythrina (Wiliwili) were in trouble in some parts of the state before this wasp showed up.
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Well, some wisdom has been gained, at least. Before they introduce a species to hit the gall wasps, there is nearly 3 years of testing prior to introduction. They are required to ensure that it will not harm other species, and then a very targetted test introduction happens.
That aside, there has been some success in keeping wiliwili trees alive and healthy by using Merit as an injection in the trunk. I'm not sure of frequency or dose required, though. I just know that many who are involved in saving native species are using that to ensure their survival on Maui.
Jane
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In Hawai'i the wasp seems to do more damage to the non-native erythrinas since they keep their leaves during the summer when the wasp is more active. I wonder if the situation would have been better for the native tree in the absence of non-native erythrinas as host plants for the wasp during their dormant season. This also makes me think about the introduced rose apple, which may become a host for ohia rust. This particular rust was found on Oahu in 2005 and so far has not reached Hawai'i. However, the rose apple hosts a very similar strain of rust which plant pathologists worry may mutate and attack ohias as well. (This one is here on Hawai'i - you can see it on the rose apples along the highway near Pahoa.) Last spring I visited the huge wiliwili in the center of Waikoloa Village, and even though it definitely showed some damage from the wasps, it seemed to be hanging in there. When I was there I heard a story about how the residents of Waikoloa worked to protect the wiliwilis and the remnant dry forest just outside the Village. Apparently some time ago a resort looking to buy mature trees for landscaping made an agreement to dig up and remove mature wiliwilis from the dry forest area of Waikoloa. Residents became outraged when they saw trucks hauling the huge trees away and moved to better protect the 250 acre dry forest within the Village. I think they even got them to return and replant a couple of the trees and subsequently worked to preserve and relocate other wiliwilis on land that was to be developed. Although a formidable pest, I guess the wasp is not the only threat to the wilwili.
Uluhe Design
Native Landscape Design
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Uluhe Design
Native Landscape Design
uluhedesign@yahoo.com
