The Sirex woodwasp, Sirex noctilio: Ecology, Potential Impact, and Management in the Southeastern U.S.
Forest Management, Forest Health, Environmental Management, and Issues
1606_FH-003.pdf
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The Sirex woodwasp (Sirex noctilio F.) is a large, non-stinging wasp that colonizes and kills stressed pine trees. This insect, originally from Eurasia, is not considered a pest in its native range. However, it has become a major pest in some countries in the Southern Hemisphere (such as South Africa and Australia), where it was accidentally introduced. It has infested areas with thousands of acres of planted pine in commercial plantations. So far, the Sirex woodwasp has not become a major pest in North America, and is found only in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Vermont, and Connecticut, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. However, considering the large amount of favorable habitat that exists in the southeastern U.S., great potential for damage from the Sirex woodwasp exists.
