The biological control of the psyllid, the insect that transmits citrus greening (huanglongbing/HLB), through releases of the small wasp Tamarixia radiata is a sustainable and important tool in the external control of the disease, in the vicinity of commercial groves, in places with the presence of Murraya paniculata (orange jasmine) and unmanaged citrus plants, as well as in rural neighborhoods and abandoned groves. The point is that the psyllid uses these plants to feed and reproduce on and can migrate to farms, making internal management difficult. When these plants cannot be replaced with other ornamental and fruit species that are not attractive to the psyllid, wasps are released.
T. radiata uses the young stage of the psyllid to reproduce: it lays its eggs under the insect nymphs, which serve as food for the larvae when they are born. Each female can control up to 500 nymphs. The release into the environment does not cause ecological imbalance, since the wasp does not affect other species of insects or plants.
Since 2015, Fundecitrus has owned a biofactory with a monthly production capacity of up to 100,000 T. radiata. More than 4.5 million of small wasps have already been produced.