''Laricobius osakensis'' is a species of
Derodontid beetle native to Japan. Described in 2011, it feeds exclusively on
hemlock woolly adelgid
''Adelges tsugae'', the hemlock woolly adelgid () or HWA, is an insect of the order Hemiptera (true bugs) native to East Asia. It feeds by sucking sap from hemlock and spruce trees ('' Tsuga'' spp.; '' Picea'' spp.). In its native range, HWA ...
(''Adelges tsugae''), an invasive insect species that is destroying huge numbers of
hemlock trees in eastern North America. It has shown promise as a
biological control agent
Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, whether pest animals such as insects and mites, weeds, or pathogens affecting animals or plants by using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or ot ...
in field trials.
References
Derodontidae
Insects used as insect pest control agents
Biological pest control beetles
Beetles described in 2011
Insects of Japan
{{Bostrichiformia-stub