New wasp species could help control pests

17:23 17th November 2009

A European species of wasp found for the first time in the UK could help control populations of the whitefly pest, it has been suggested.

The discovery was made by Natural History Museum wasp expert Dr Andrew Plaszek, who has recorded the first confirmed sighting of Encarsia aleurochitonis, according to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

Known for attacking wild whitefly, the 1mm-long wasps may have been in the UK for a while, the expert suggested.

He said that the small size of E. aleurochitonis could mean it has simply not been noticed before.

The species' cousin E. formosa has been known to be used in greenhouses as a means of controlling whitefly numbers in that environment and Dr Plaszek explained that wasps often do a stellar job without receiving praise.

"There are dozens of parasitoid wasps right under our noses keeping a lot of pests under control without us knowing they're there," he revealed.

"They provide an ecosystem service - and it's not until things get out of balance that we're aware of what they're doing."

Meanwhile, the RHS recently revealed that the UK's largest winter garden has opened at the Dunham Massey estate in Cheshire.