Eucalyptus Stem Gall Wasp

Eucalyptus Stem Gall Wasp

Leptocybe invasa

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Los Angeles

In 3 days ~10%

8 Verified sightings at Los Angeles
12 In 1 park From 2019 to 2026
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Eucalyptus Stem Gall Wasp

Leptocybe invasa, the blue gum chalcid wasp or eucalyptus gall wasp, is a chalcid wasp which is the only species in the monotypic genus Leptocybe in the subfamily Tetrastichinae, of the family Eulophidae. It is a gall wasp which causes the formation of galls on a number of species of Eucalyptus, it was described in 2004 after galls were found in river red gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) in the Mediterranean and Middle East and has since been found to be a widespread species where its host trees are planted. It is indigenous to Australia.

This tiny wasp is just over one millimeter in length. Its body is brown with a slight blue to green iridescence. Parts of the legs are yellowish in color. Leptocybe invasa is native to Queensland, Australia where its exact distribution has yet to be determined. It has now been found as an invasive species in eucalypts in northern, eastern and southern Africa, Asia, the Pacific Region, Europe as far north as the United Kingdom, southern Asia, southern South America, the Middle East, Mexico and the United States. It appears to be spreading.

L. invasa was discovered in 2000 when river red gums in the... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Athens 🇬🇷 Greece
~10%
2 Sacramento 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 San Francisco 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Eucalyptus Stem Gall Wasp in Los Angeles?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Eucalyptus Stem Gall Wasp sighting in Los Angeles on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 626th most-seen of the 851 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Eucalyptus Stem Gall Wasp in Los Angeles?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Eucalyptus Stem Gall Wasp in Los Angeles on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Eucalyptus Stem Gall Wasp?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eucalyptus Stem Gall Wasp sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Los Angeles the best place to see a Eucalyptus Stem Gall Wasp?

3rd of 4

Of the 4 cities where we can rate Eucalyptus Stem Gall Wasp sightings, Los Angeles ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Athens (Greece, about 10%) and Sacramento (United States, under 5%).

Where does the Eucalyptus Stem Gall Wasp sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Eucalyptus Stem Gall Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Los Angeles (8 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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