Currant Stem Girdler vs Emerald Ash Borer Parasite

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Currant Stem Girdler Emerald Ash Borer Parasite
Scientific Name Janus integer Spathius agrili
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Cephidae Braconidae
Size 8-11 mm 3-5 mm
Habitat Underground Woodlands
Diet Omnivores Parasitoids
Regions North America East Asia, Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Currant Stem Girdler

A slender black stem sawfly that attacks currant and gooseberry bushes. Females girdle the stem tips with their ovipositor, causing them to wilt.

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Did You Know?

The female girdles the stem above the egg insertion point, causing the tip to wilt and die, which provides the larva with softened stem tissue to feed on.

Emerald Ash Borer Parasite

A parasitoid wasp from China released in North America to combat the devastating emerald ash borer beetle. Females drill through bark to reach host larvae.

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Did You Know?

It was approved for release in the US in 2007 as part of an emergency effort to save North American ash trees.