A new study led by Dartmouth College has found that an invasive wasp – which has already caused significant damage in the Southern Hemisphere – could spread throughout North America. The experts estimate that the Sirex woodwasp (Sirex noctilio) has the potential to reproduce at rates two to three times higher in North America than in its native range in Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Unlike yellow jackets and other common species of wasps, Sirex woodwasps eat wood instead of fruit and meat. “When we first observed the Sirex woodwasp in North America, we said ‘oh no, we better brace ourselves for this,’” said study lead author Flora Krivak-Tetley, an expert in invasive species at Dartmouth. “The good fortune we’ve enjoyed so far with the Sirex woodwasp could change if the insect reaches areas with higher resource availability and fewer natural enemies.”The study is published in the journal NeoBiota.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 17, 2022 19:43 UTC