No need to unleash the dragons. A tiny wasp, Eadya daenerys, can now be used in New Zealand to combat the destructive eucalyptus tortoise beetle (Paropsis charybdis).
A decision-making committee appointed by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has approved an application to release the parasitoid wasp in New Zealand.
This follows public submissions, and a public hearing earlier this year.
![Eadya daenerys stinging a Paropsis charybdis larva.](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/P4ZOWHOUYVYZVUGHVRWNHOFP64.jpg?auth=f1340bfdbb3789b971b5d17822e0fee8482eef7bc2087ee5d16f92e5d130f140&width=16&height=13&quality=70&smart=true)
The application was lodged by Scion, the Crown Research Institute focused on research, science and technological development for the forestry and timber industries.