Description
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family | Genus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animalia | Hexapoda | Insecta | Hymenoptera | Eurytomidae | Tetramesa |
Synonyms
Invasion History
Chesapeake Bay Status
| First Record | Population | Range | Introduction | Residency | Source Region | Native Region | Vectors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Established | Unknown | Introduced | Regular Resident | Europe | Eurasia | Shipping(Unspecified); Ornamental(Aquatic Plant); Agriculture(Packing Material) |
History of Spread
Tetramesa phragmitis, a phytophagous wasp, is native to Eurasia (Blossey and Weber 2000). It is found only on Phragmites australis (Common Reed). This insect was found in North America before 1979. It was described as: 'often introduced in reeds from Europe; may be established in Phragmites growing on the East Coast' (Krombein et al. 1979), and is now widespread, extending through the Northeast, and has also been found in CA. It was collected in Chesapeake Bay tidal Phragmites marshes near Tappahannock VA on the Rappahannock River, and in Dameron Marsh, Northumberland County VA in 2000 (Blossey and Weber 2000).
References- Krombein et al. 1979; Blossey and Weber 2000
Invasion Comments
Ecology
Environmental Tolerances
| For Survival | For Reproduction | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Maximum | Minimum | Maximum | |
| Temperature (ºC) | ||||
| Salinity (‰) | 0.0 | 0.0 | ||
| Oxygen | ||||
| pH | ||||
| Salinity Range | fresh-poly |
Age and Growth
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Adult Size (mm) | ||
| Typical Adult Size (mm) | ||
| Maximum Adult Size (mm) | ||
| Maximum Longevity (yrs) | ||
| Typical Longevity (yrs |
Reproduction
| Start | Peak | End | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive Season | |||
| Typical Number of Young Per Reproductive Event |
|||
| Sexuality Mode(s) | |||
| Mode(s) of Asexual Reproduction |
|||
| Fertilization Type(s) | |||
| More than One Reproduction Event per Year |
|||
| Reproductive Startegy | |||
| Egg/Seed Form |
Impacts
Economic Impacts in Chesapeake Bay
The effects of insect herbivores of Phragmites australis (Common Reed), including Tetramesa phragmitis, have not been studied in Chesapeake Bay or elsewhere in North America. Potentially, these introduced insects could affect the aggressive invasion of P. australis in Chesapeake Bay wetlands. Studies of these insects are needed in order to determine whether P. australis control programs need to be redesigned to preserve and enhance the effect of introduced herbivore populations (Blossey and Weber 2000).
References- (Blossey and Weber 2000
Economic Impacts Outside of Chesapeake Bay
Insect herbivores of Phragmites australis (Common Reed), including Tetramesa phragmitis, are considered pests of reed-beds in Europe. However, the effects of these insects on the population dynamics and abundance of P. australis has not been studied in Europe or North America. Potentially, these introduced insects could affect the aggressive invasion of P. australis in eastern North American wetlands (Blossey and Weber 2000).
References- Blossey and Weber 2000
Ecological Impacts on Chesapeake Native Species
Impacts of the wasp Tetramesa phragmitis on native Phragmites australis (Common Reed) populations are unknown.
Ecological Impacts on Other Chesapeake Non-Native Species
Insect herbivores of Phragmites australis (Common Reed), including Tetramesa phragmitis, are considered pests of reed-beds in Europe. However, the effects of these insects on the population dynamics and abundance of P. australis has not been studied in Europe or North America. Potentially, these introduced insects could affect the aggressive invasion of P. australis in eastern North American wetlands (Blossey and Weber 2000).
References- Blossey and Weber 2000
References
2002 <i>Phragmites</i>: Common Reed. web page: http://www.invasiveplants.net/Blossey, Bernd; Weber, Joseph T. (2000) First Virginia records of four European insect herbivores of Phragmites australis., Banisteria 16: 29-35
Haslam, S. M. (1972) Biological flora of the British Isles List Br. Vasc. Pl. (1958) No. 665, . 1. Phragmites communis, Journal of Ecology 60: 585-610
Krombein, Karl V.; Hurd, Paul D., Jr.; Smith, David R.; Burks, B. D. (1979) Catalog of Hymenoptera in America north of Mexico., 1 , Washington, D.C.. Pp.
Marks, Marianne; Lapin, Beth; Randall, John (1994) Phragmites australis (P. communis): Threats, management, and monitoring, Natural Areas Journal 14: 285-294