Pine woodwasp (Sirex noctilio)

Photo courtesy of Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Adult female of Sirex noctilio	Current distribution in New York

This tree-killing woodwasp (horntail) is fairly new to New York, showing up in Fulton (Oswego County) in 2004. It has now been detected in three counties in the state. Females lay eggs in species of hard pine, which includes Scots pine, Austrian pine, pitch pine, Monterey pine, and loblolly pine. Although larvae develop in the wood, it is actually a toxic mucus and pathogenic fungus injected by the female that actually kills the tree. For a fact sheet with additional information, click here (click here for pdf).

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Created and maintained by Paul A. Weston.