Thanks to efforts from scientists and everyday citizens, two rare species of parasitic wasps have been identified in the U.S. for the first time. The wasps were located on both the East and West Coast and belong to a parasitic species known as Bootanomyia dorsalis.
Published in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research, the new study reminds us that, although they may sound scary, parasitic wasps are crucial for biodiversity and the discovery of two new species is something to be celebrated.
“Parasitic wasps are likely the most diverse group of animals on the planet and are extremely important in ecological systems, acting as the biological control agents to keep insects in check, including those that are crop or forest pests,” said Kirsten Prior, associate professor at Binghamton University, in a press release.
Two New Species of Rare Wasps Discovered
The two new species of wasp were identified from a collection of over 100 different parasitic wasp species. Out of the 100 species identified, B. dorsalis was the biggest surprise as it is a species typically found in Europe rather than the U.S.
Due to their small size, different species of parasitic wasps are difficult to identify based on physical characteristics alone. The research team used advanced genetic tools and testing methods on the 100 wasp species and compared their results to reference library data.
Through genetic testing, scientists were surprised to discover that they had not one but two different types – or clades – of B. dorsalis living on separate coasts.
“The sequences from two clades were different enough from each other that they could be considered different species. This suggests that B. dorsalis was introduced at least twice, and that the New York and West Coast introductions were separate,” said Prior in the press release.
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Where Did the Parasitic Wasps Come From?
After finding the two new species of parasitic wasps, scientists needed to figure out where exactly they came from and how they managed to get to the U.S.
The East Coast wasps came from Portugal, Iran, and Italy. They also exhibited more genetic diversity than the West Coast wasps, which suggests that this species has been introduced to the U.S. multiple times over a number of years.
The wasps found on the West Coast are related to species in Spain, Hungary, and Iran. Surprisingly, the West Coast wasps were also all genetically identical no matter if they came from California or British Columbia. Their genetic similarities likely means that, unlike their East Coast counterparts, their introduction to the U.S. was singular and small.
But how did they get here? Researchers currently have two main working theories. As B. dorsalis is a parasite that feeds on other wasps, specifically oak gall wasps, it’s possible that they were brought to America via the increase in oak tree planting that occurred during the 17th century.
The second theory is that B. dorsalis’ travels might be more modern. Since adult parasitic wasps live for 27 days, they may have just hopped on a plane to cross the ocean.
Are Parasitic Wasps Dangerous?
Parasitic wasps are incredibly dangerous – but only if you are an oak gall wasp. B. dorsalis thrives by praying on the galls created by oak gall wasps, which are tumor-like plant growths that can be as large as an apple. After the gall is created, B. dorsalis will lay their eggs in the galls and consume the oak gall wasp that created it.
As to whether or not these new wasp species are dangerous to native North American parasitic wasp species, researchers still aren’t quite sure. The team hopes to continue learning more about the U.S. transplants of B. dorsalis and spread knowledge of parasites’ importance to healthy ecosystems.
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