Ophelimus maskeli

Ophelimus maskelli

"Ophelimus maskelli" is a species of chalcid wasp about 1mm long, known as the eucalyptus gall wasp, indigenous to Australia and New Zealand, and invasive in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, North Africa, South Africa, tropical Asia, and the United States.
Australian Eucalyptus Leafgall Wasp - Ophelimus maskeli Australia,Cox Scrub,Eamw galls,Geotagged,Ophelimus maskeli,Ophelimus maskelli,Winter

Naming

In Australia and Israel members of the genus of fairy wasps, "Stethynium", were being investigated in 2006 as possible biological control agents for "Ophelimus maskelli". Releases of three parasitoids in Israel were successful in greatly reducing the numbers of "O. maskelli", though only two of these parasitoids - "Closterocerus chamaeleon", and "Stethynium ophelimi" - subsequently proliferated and spread through the Mediterranean Basin, where they have proven to be excellent biological control agents.

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderHymenoptera
FamilyEulophidae
GenusOphelimus
SpeciesO. maskelli
Photographed in
Australia