Quadrastichus erythrinae (Erythrina gall wasp)

Identity

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Preferred Scientific Name

Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim

Preferred Common Name

Erythrina gall wasp

International Common Names

English: erythrina gall wasp (EGW)

Summary of Invasiveness

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Unusual growths, caused by Erythrina gall wasp (Quadrastichus erythrinae), on leaves and young shoots of coral trees (Erythrina spp). alerts to the presence of this emerging invasive species. Quadrastichus erythrinae measures a mere 1.5mm and may be spread easily via infected leaves from infected Erythrina specimens.

Taxonomic Tree

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Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Metazoa
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Uniramia
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Eulophidae
Genus: Quadrastichus
Species: Quadrastichus erythrinae

Description

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Female: Length 1.45–1.6 mm. Dark brown with yellow markings. Head yellow, except gena posteriorly brown. Antenna pale brown except scape posteriorly pale. Pronotum dark brown. The mid lobe of mesoscutum with a ‘‘V’’ shaped or inverted triangular dark brown area from anterior margin, the remainder yellow. Scapula yellow. Scutellum, axilla and dorsellum brown to light brown. Propodeum dark brown. Gaster brown. Fore and hind coxae brown. Mid coxa almost pale. Femora mostly brown to light brown. Specimens from Mauritius are generally darker than those from Singapore. Oviposter sheath not protruding, short in dorsal view (Kim Delvare and La Salle 2004).
Male. Length 1.0–1.15 mm. Pale coloration white to pale yellow as opposed to yellow in female. Head and antenna pale. Pronotum dark brown (but in lateral view, only upper half dark brown; lower half yellow to white). Scutellum and dorsellum pale brown. Axilla pale. Propodeum dark brown. Gaster in anterior half pale; remainder dark brown. Legs all pale. Antenna with 4 funicular segments; without the whorl of setae; F1 distinctly shorter than the other segments and slightly transverse; about 1.4 wider than long. Ventral plaque extending 0.4– 0.5 length of scape and placed in apical half. Gaster shorter than female. Genitalia elongate, with digitus about 0.4 length of the long, exserted aedagus (Kim Delvare and La Salle 2004).

Distribution

Top of page Native range: Quadrastichus erythrinae is believed to be native to Africa.
Known introduced range: First collected in Florida on coral trees Erythrina variegata, now in Miami and Hawaii; also known from Singapore, Mauritius and Reunion, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, India, Thailand, Philippines, American Samoa, Guam and in the Amami Islands and Okinawa in Japan.

Distribution Table

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The distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available. When several references are cited, they may give conflicting information on the status. Further details may be available for individual references in the Distribution Table Details section which can be selected by going to Generate Report.

Last updated: 23 Apr 2020

Continent/Country/Region	Distribution	Origin	First Reported	Invasive	Reference	Notes
Africa
Mauritius	Present	Introduced	2004	Invasive	Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011); CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020); CABI (Undated);
-Rodrigues	Present	Introduced			Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011)
Réunion	Present	Introduced	2004	Invasive	Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011); CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020); CABI (Undated);
Seychelles	Present				EPPO (2020)
South Africa	Present	Introduced			Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011)
Tanzania	Present				CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020)
Asia
China	Present	Introduced	2005	Invasive	Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011); CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020); CABI (Undated)
-Fujian	Present				CABI (Undated); CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020)	Original citation: Huang et al., 2005
-Guangdong	Present				CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020)
-Hainan	Present				CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020)
Hong Kong	Present	Introduced		Invasive	Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011); CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020)
India	Present	Introduced	2005	Invasive	Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011); CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020)
-Karnataka	Present				EPPO (2020)
-Kerala	Present				CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020)
-Maharashtra	Present				EPPO (2020)
-West Bengal	Present				Das and Barindra Talukdar (2011); EPPO (2020)
Japan	Present, Localized				CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020)
-Ryukyu Islands	Present	Introduced		Invasive	Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011); CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020)	First reported: after 2005
Macau	Present				CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020)
Malaysia	Present	Introduced			Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011); EPPO (2020)
Maldives	Present	Introduced			Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011)
Philippines	Present	Introduced	2005		EPPO (2020)
Singapore	Present	Introduced	2004	Invasive	Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011); CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020); CABI (Undated);
Sri Lanka	Present				CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020)
Taiwan	Present	Introduced	2003	Invasive	Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011); CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020); CABI (Undated)
Thailand	Present	Introduced	2004		Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011); CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020)
Vietnam	Present	Introduced			Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011); CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020)
North America
Guadeloupe	Present				Etienne and Dumbardon-Martial (2013); EPPO (2020)
Martinique	Present				Etienne and Dumbardon-Martial (2013); EPPO (2020)
Panama	Present				Medianero and Zachrisson (2019)
United States	Present				CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020)
-Florida	Present	Introduced	2006		Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011); CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020)
-Hawaii	Present	Introduced	2005	Invasive	Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011); CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020)
Oceania
American Samoa	Present	Introduced	2004	Invasive	Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011); CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020); CABI (Undated)
Federated States of Micronesia	Present	Introduced			Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011)
Fiji	Present	Introduced			Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011)
French Polynesia	Present, Localized				IPPC (2010); EPPO (2020)
Guam	Present	Introduced			Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011); CABI and EPPO (2009); EPPO (2020)
New Caledonia	Present	Introduced			Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011)
Samoa	Present	Introduced			Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011)
Tonga	Present	Introduced	2006		Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011)
Vanuatu	Present	Introduced			Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) (2011)
South America
Brazil	Present				CABI (Undated a)	Present based on regional distribution.
-Espirito Santo	Present	Introduced			Culik et al. (2014)

Habitat

Top of page The Erythrina gall wasp infests Erythrina species, of which there are approximately 110 in tropical regions around the world. Erythrina are used as ornamentals, ‘living fences’, and nitrogen-fixing components of agroforestry systems

Habitat List

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Category	Sub-Category	Habitat	Presence	Status
Terrestrial

	Terrestrial – Managed	Managed forests, plantations and orchards	Present, no further details	Harmful (pest or invasive)
	Terrestrial – Managed	Urban / peri-urban areas	Present, no further details	Harmful (pest or invasive)
	Terrestrial ‑ Natural / Semi-natural	Natural forests	Present, no further details	Harmful (pest or invasive)

Host Plants and Other Plants Affected

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Plant name	Family	Context
Erythrina fusca (coral bean)	Fabaceae	Main
Erythrina subumbrans (December tree)	Fabaceae	Main
Erythrina variegata (Indian coral tree)	Fabaceae	Main

List of Symptoms/Signs

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Sign	Life Stages	Type
Leaves / abnormal forms
Leaves / abnormal leaf fall
Stems / galls

Biology and Ecology

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Reproduction
A single female Erythrina gall wasp carries on average approximately 320 eggs (Yang et al. 2004).

Lifecycle stages
Studies conducted by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) on Erythrina gall wasp indicate a life cycle (egg to adult) of about 20 days. A one-day old female wasp contains about 60 mature eggs in its ovaries. The adult female wasp exhibited a preference for depositing eggs in very young terminal leaves and stems, but not mature leaves. Adult wasps not given any food survived less than 3 days (males - 2.5 days, females - 2.9 days) while those provided with honey lived longer (males - 10.3 days, females - 6.1 days). The sex ratio of emerging wasps in lab-infested plants was 7 males to 1 female (Heu et al. 2006).

Means of Movement and Dispersal

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Introduction pathways to new locations
Ship: Boats carrying fallen infested leaves raise the risk of spreading Erythrina gall wasp (Quadrastichus erythrinae) (SPC 2006).

Local dispersal methods
Hikers' clothes/boots:Quadrastichus erythrinae may be transported on many items, including clothing and flowers (SPC 2006).
Wind dispersed:Quadrastichus erythrinae may be spread via the wind (SPC 2006).

Pathway Vectors

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Vector	Notes	Long Distance	Local	References
Clothing, footwear and possessions			Yes
Wind			Yes

Impact Summary

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Category	Impact
Native flora	Negative

Impact

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Like other gall-forming eulophid wasps, the Erythrina gall wasp inserts its eggs inside young leaf and stem tissue. The wasp larvae, which develop within plant tissue, induce the formation of galls in the leaflets and petioles. As the infestation progresses, leaves curl and appear deformed while petioles and shoots become swollen. After feeding is complete, larvae pupate within the leaf and stem tissue. After pupation within the galls, adult wasps emerge after cutting exit holes through to the outside. Heavily galled leaves and stems result in a loss of growth and vigour. Severe infestations can cause defoliation and death of trees (Yang et al. 2004; Heu et al. 2006).

The Erythrina gall wasp infests Erythrina spp. of which there are approximately 110 mostly in tropical regions around the world. (Kim et al. 2004). Erythrina spp. are also known as coral trees and have a variety of functions in different locations. In Taiwan they are highly associated with farming and fishing activities (Yang et al. 2004). As indicated by its Latin name "erythros" meaning red, its obvious red flowers have been used as a sign of the arrival of spring and as a working calendar by tribal peoples (Yang et al. 2004). Specifically, the blooming of its showy red flowers serves as a signal to the coastal people to begin their ceremonies for catching flying fish, and for the Puyama people to plant sweet potatoes (Yang et al. 2004).

In Hawaii the Erythrina gall wasp infests coral trees, Erythrina variegata, E. crista-galli and the native E. sandwicensis (Heu et al. 2006). E. sandwicensis, known as the wiliwili tree, is endemic to Hawaii and a “keystone species in Hawaii's lowland dry forest, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world.” For a closer look at the threat posed by the Erythrina gall wasp to the native Hawaii wiliwili, please see Wiliwili on Maui: threatened by the Erythrina gall wasp . Control of the spread of Erythrina gall wasp in Hawaii was predicted to cost over $1 million in 2008 (Brannon, 2007).

The Erythrina gall wasp has caused approximately 95% mortality of Erythrina endemic to Hawaii (E. sandwicensis and E. variegata) over 2 years (Medeiros, 2008, personal communication, 28 Nov). The Erythrina gall wasp, although thought to be native to Africa (Gates & Delvare, 2008), has been identified as a threat to Erythrina trees in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania (including the Pacific) (Messing, 2008; Li et al. 2006).

Threatened Species

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Threatened Species	Conservation Status	Where Threatened	Mechanism	References	Notes
Erythrina sandwicensis	No details	Hawaii	Parasitism (incl. parasitoid)	ISSG, 2011
Erythrina variegata (Indian coral tree)	No details	Hawaii	Parasitism (incl. parasitoid)	ISSG, 2011

Risk and Impact Factors

Top of page Impact outcomes

Reduced native biodiversity

Impact mechanisms

Parasitism (incl. parasitoid)

Bibliography

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Aliens-L 24-Jan-2006 JohnMauremootoo (CABI-Africa) Erythrina Gall Wasp in Mauritius

B. Napompeth, 2006. RE: [pestnet] Erythrina gall wasp - American Samoa. (Email posting).

Brannon, J. (2007, March 23). Dying trees cost $1M a year. The Honolulu Advertiser [online – accessed 07/01/2009]. http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Mar/23/ln/FP703230359.html

Erythrina Gall Wasp (Quadrastichus erythinae), in American Samoa. 2006. Pest Alert (ISSN 1727 8473). Plant Protection Service, Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

Gates, M. & Delvare, G. (2008). A new species of Eurytoma (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae) attacking Quadrastichus spp. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) galling Erythrina spp. (Fabaceae), with a summary of African Eurytoma biology and species checklist. Zootaxa 1751: 1–24.

Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk Project (HEAR), 2006. Species Info Quadrastichus erythrinae (Eulophidae) http://www.hear.org/species/quadrastichus_erythrinae/

Heu, R.A., Tsuda, D.M., Nagamine, W.T., Yalemar, J.A. and Suh, T.H. 2006. Erythrina Gall Wasp Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), New Pest Advisory. Department of Agriculture: Manoa (Hawaii). http://www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa/npa/npa05-03-EGW.pdf

Hurley, T. 2005. Tiny wasp may kill off native trees, Hawaii Advertiser.

I. Buldawoo, 2006. [Aliens-L] Re Erythrina Gall Wasp in Mauritius. (Email posting).

Kami, P. (2008). Re Pestnet, 1 Dec. (Email posting).

Kaya, T. (2007, June 18). Wasp swap: A relief for wiliwili? The Maui News [online – accessed 06/01/2009]. http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/31519.html

Kim, I., Delvare, G. and La Salle, J. 2004. A new Species of Quadrastichus (Hymenoptera: Euphidae): A Gall-Inducing Pest on Erythrina (Fabaceae), J. HYM. RES. 13(2): 243-249.

Kranz, B. (2008). Pestnet, 21 Jan (Email posting)

Lal, S. N. (2008). Pestnet, 29 Nov (Email posting)

Li, H.-M. et al. (2006). Potential global range expansion of a new invasive species, the erythrina gall wasp, Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim (insecta: Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 54 (2): pp. 229-234.

Liebregts, W. (2008). [Personal communication – Pestnet, 28 Nov]

Medeiros, A. (2008). [Personal communication – Pestnet, 28 Nov]

Messing, R. H. et al. (2008). Using host plant relationships to help determine origins of the invasive Erythrina gall wasp, Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Biological Invasions. pp. 1-9 [article in press].

Mille, C. (2008). Pestnet, 28 Nov (Email posting)

Oishi, D. (2008). Pestnet, 29 Nov (Email posting)

Rubinoff, Daniel; Brenden S. Holland; Alexandra Shibata; Russell H. Messing, and Mark G. Wright, 2010. Rapid Invasion Despite Lack of Genetic Variation in the Erythrina Gall Wasp (Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim). Pacific Science (2010), vol. 64, no. 1:23–31

Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Pest Focus - February 2006 Erythrina gall wasp (Quadrastichus erythrinae)

Tanji, E. (2008, November 29). Insects being released to attack gall wasps. The Maui News [online – accessed 06/01/2009]. http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/511802.html

Thomas, P. (2005). Wiliwili on Maui: threatened by the Erythrina gall wasp [online - accessed 07/01/2009] http://www.hear.org/issues/wiliwilionmaui/

Uechi, Nami., Takumi Uesato and Junichi Yukawa., 2007. Detection of an invasive gall-inducing pest, Quadrastichus erythrinae (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), causing damage to Erythrina variegata L. (Fabaceae) in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan Entomological Science (2007) 10, 209–212

Walker, K. 2007. Erythrina gall wasp (Quadrastichus erythrinae) Pest and Diseases Image Library. http://www.padil.gov.au/viewPestDiagnosticImages.aspx?id=989

Wiley, J. & Skelley, P. (2006). Erythrina Gall Wasp, Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim, in Florida [online – accessed 06/01/2008]. http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/enpp/ento/gallwasp.html

Xu, T. et al. (2008). Efficacy of systemic insecticides on the gall wasp Quadrastichus erythrinae in wiliwili trees (Erythrina spp.). Pest Management Science 65(2): pp. 163 - 169. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/121428027/PDFSTART

Yang, M., Tung, G., La Salle, J. and Wu, M. 2004. Outbreak of erythrina gall wasp (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) on Erythrina spp. (Fabaceae) in Taiwan.

References

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CABI/EPPO, 2009. Quadrastichus erythrinae. [Distribution Map]. Distribution Maps of Plant Pests, No.June. Wallingford, UK: CABI, Map 722

Culik MP, Martins Ddos S, Ventura JA, Costa VA, 2014. The invasive gall wasp Quadrastichus erythrinae (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in South America: is classical biological control needed? Biocontrol Science and Technology, 24(8):971-975. http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cbst20

Das BK, Barindra Talukdar, 2011. Record of invasive Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim, gall wasp on Erythrina variegata L. from Eastern India with notes on gall morphologies. Insect Environment, 17(1):9-11

EPPO, 2014. PQR database. Paris, France: European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization. http://www.eppo.int/DATABASES/pqr/pqr.htm

Etienne J, Dumbardon-Martial E, 2013. Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim: a formidable pest for erythrina in Guadeloupe and Martinique (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae, Tetrastichinae). (Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim: un redoutable ravageur pour les érythrines de Guadeloupe et de Martinique (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae, Tetrastichinae).) Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, 118(2):155-158

Huang PY, Fang YW, Huang J, Lin SM, Wang HY, 2005. A new invasive alien species, Quadrastichus erythrinae, in mainland of China. Chinese Bulletin of Entomology, 42(6):731-733

IPPC, 2010. Quadrastichus erythrinae on Erythrina variegata. IPPC Official Pest Report, No. PYF-07/1. Rome, Italy: FAO. https://www.ippc.int/

ISSG, 2011. Global Invasive Species Database (GISD). Invasive Species Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission. http://www.issg.org/database

Kim IK, Delvare G, Salle J la, 2004. A new species of Quadrastichus (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae): a gall-inducing pest on Erythrina (Fabaceae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 13(2):243-249

Medianero, E., Zachrisson, B., 2019. Erythrina gall wasp, Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim, 2004 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Tetrastichinae): a new pest in Central America. BioInvasions Records, 8(2), 452-456. doi: 10.3391/bir.2019.8.2.28

SPC, 2006. Erythrina gall wasp (Quadrastichus erythrinae), in American Samoa. PestAlert, 35. February 2006. Plant Protection Service Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Suva, Fiji Islands

Yang MM, Tung GS, Salle J la, Wu ML, 2004. Outbreak of erythrina gall wasp (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) on Erythrina spp. (Fabaceae) in Taiwan. Plant Protection Bulletin Taipei, 46(4):391-396

Distribution References

CABI, EPPO, 2009. Quadrastichus erythrinae. [Distribution Map]. In: Distribution Maps of Plant Pests, Wallingford, UK: CABI. Map 722.

CABI, Undated. Compendium record. Wallingford, UK: CABI

CABI, Undated a. CABI Compendium: Status inferred from regional distribution. Wallingford, UK: CABI

CABI, Undated b. CABI Compendium: Status as determined by CABI editor. Wallingford, UK: CABI

Culik M P, Martins D dos S, Ventura J A, Costa V A, 2014. The invasive gall wasp Quadrastichus erythrinae (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in South America: is classical biological control needed? Biocontrol Science and Technology. 24 (8), 971-975. http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cbst20 DOI:10.1080/09583157.2014.900735

Das B K, Barindra Talukdar, 2011. Record of invasive Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim, gall wasp on Erythrina variegata L. from Eastern India with notes on gall morphologies. Insect Environment. 17 (1), 9-11.

EPPO, 2020. EPPO Global database. In: EPPO Global database, Paris, France: EPPO.

Etienne J, Dumbardon-Martial E, 2013. Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim: a formidable pest for erythrina in Guadeloupe and Martinique (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae, Tetrastichinae). (Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim: un redoutable ravageur pour les érythrines de Guadeloupe et de Martinique (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae, Tetrastichinae).). Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France. 118 (2), 155-158.

Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG), 2011. Global Invasive Species Database (GISD). In: Global Invasive Species Database (GISD), Auckland, New Zealand: University of Auckland. http://www.issg.org/database

IPPC, 2010. Quadrastichus erythrinae on Erythrina variegata. In: IPPC Official Pest Report, Rome, Italy: FAO. https://www.ippc.int/

Medianero E, Zachrisson B, 2019. Erythrina gall wasp, Quadrastichus erythrinae Kim, 2004 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Tetrastichinae): a new pest in Central America. BioInvasions Records. 8 (2), 452-456. DOI:10.3391/bir.2019.8.2.28

Links to Websites

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Website	URL	Comment
GISD/IASPMR: Invasive Alien Species Pathway Management Resource and DAISIE European Invasive Alien Species Gateway	https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.m93f6	Data source for updated system data added to species habitat list.
Global register of Introduced and Invasive species (GRIIS)	http://griis.org/	Data source for updated system data added to species habitat list.

Principal Source

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Global Invasive Species Database

Contributors

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Quadrastichus erythrinae (Erythrina gall wasp)

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