FLESH-eating bugs that are nearly invisible might be crawling through the trees in your backyard, scientists warned.
Two mysterious parasitic wasp species somehow slipped into the US unnoticed, spreading from New York to the Pacific Northwest.
A research team identified two previously unknown species of parasitic wasps living in the United States[/caption]
These wasps are impacting already established local ecosystems that have their own wasp species (Stock Photo)[/caption]
The parasitic wasps, called the Bootanomyia dorsalis species, lay their eggs in living plants and animals.
The terrifying creatures prey on native oak gall wasps, which live inside oak trees all over America.
Parasitic wasps settle into the oak trees and ravage their larvae, feeding on their soft bodies and tissue, killing them in the process.
The European parasites thankfully don’t sting humans
By the time researchers discovered them, the bugs had already carved out separate homes on both American coasts.
DNA testing revealed that East Coast and West Coast populations had totally different genetic fingerprints, meaning there are two variations of the wasps.
Experts believe the insects may have arrived on imported oak trees or through planes before multiplying in numbers, as reported by The Earth.
Scientists are terrified that the wasps’ takeover could reshape ecosystems.
However, it mainly targets their fellow oak gall wasps, which measure only eight millimeters in length.
Parasitic wasps sneak their eggs into the galls, which are little growths that form on oak trees.
Those galls are normally nurseries for oak gall wasp babies, but once the invaders move in, their larvae hatch and feed on the helpless hosts.
North America currently hosts about 90 oak tree species that collectively house an estimated 800 gall wasp species.
And the number of parasitic wasp species is even larger.
Wasps are the most diverse group of animals, acting as biological agents to keep insects in check.
Five Recent Invasive Insect Attacks In The United States
1. Yellow-Legged Hornet (Vespa velutina)
First U.S. Detection: In August 2023, a live specimen was confirmed in Savannah, Georgia, the first such detection in the wild.
2. Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula)
Still spreading in the U.S., this sap-sucking insect continues to expand its range, now confirmed in at least 18 states, including upstate New York and Michigan. It’s a major threat to grapevines, hardwoods, and orchard industries.
3. Asian Needle Ant (Brachyponera chinensis)
Recently expanding across the Eastern U.S., this ant delivers painful—and sometimes allergic—stings while displacing native ants and termites, altering local ecosystems.
4. Spongy Moth (formerly Gypsy Moth, Lymantria dispar)
A dramatic resurgence in 2024 across the Northeast and Midwest. Some areas experienced the most severe outbreaks on record, with caterpillar densities exceeding 2.5 million.
5. New World Screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) – Parasite Threat
Following a major outbreak in Mexico in late 2024, urgency rose in early 2025 when the first U.S. human case was confirmed (origin traced to El Salvador).
However, the risk of having two species of parasites, including one new one, might be too much, according to Binghamton University biological science Kirsten Prior.
“We did find that they can parasitize multiple oak gall wasp species and that they can spread,” Prior said.
“They could be affecting populations of native oak gall wasp species or other native parasites of oak gall wasps.”
Prior warns that the wasps could wipe out native gall wasp numbers through direct parasitism or by competing with them to survive.
DISRUPTED ECOSYSTEM
Oak gall wasps, though tiny themselves, played an outsized role in forests, housing countless other species by building galls.
Those galls weren’t just insect nurseries — they acted as mini habitats that offered food and shelter to fungi, beetles, spiders, and even small vertebrates.
That means any disruption to gall makers could spark ripple effects that traveled up the food chain.
Ecological literature from the Ecological Society of America described gall-forming insects as “ecosystem engineers” for the way they shaped landscapes at the microscopic level.
Prior said scientists are now racing against time to track how far the infestations have spread, and whether America’s oak trees will be able to survive the silent siege.
Bootanomyia dorsalis has evolved into two distinct variations, raising concerns among scientists about potential impacts on established ecosystems with native parasitic species (stock photo)[/caption]
The wasps are attacking oak gall wasps and oak trees (stock image)[/caption]
