Volunteers Wanted: Help Find ALB!

You help is needed this fall and winter in the search for the Asian longhorned beetle! The Greater Worcester Land Trust is enlisting volunteers to survey conservation land in the Worcester area for signs of the wood-boring invader. The initial goal of the GWLT is to cover a 150 acre parcel of conservation land, a mere 10% of the land that the trust is charged with protecting.

The survey crews meet every Thursday at noon to head out into the woods and look for signs of ALB damage. There is also a weekend event coming up soon for those of you who cannot make it during the work week. Any suspect trees are tagged and have their positions recorded by GPS. The information is then passed on to the ALB Cooperative Eradication Program for confirmation.

The GWLT is happy to train new volunteers on how to recognize the beetle, its host trees, and the damage it can cause. So far, the volunteers have had a pretty good track record at finding infested trees, but there is a lot of work left to do.

To sign up, contact the Greater Worcester Land Trust at 508-795-3838 or email anne@gwlt.org. You can read more about the GWLT's volunteer effort in this Worcester Telegram article.

Home Invaders

It's that time of year again: the growing season is almost over, temperatures are cooling off, and your home becomes a warm and inviting place...for insects.

One of these "home invaders" is the Western conifer seed bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis). This is a fairly large bug (about 3/4 inch long), with back legs that have a distinct flattened leaf-like shape, and alternating white and brown marks on its lower body, surrounding the wings (see photo). At this time of year, you may find one lurking around the foundation of your house, or buzzing around a window screen, looking at your home as a perfect shelter for the winter. If you have encountered this insect pest before, you probably remember it best by the acrid, citrusy-smelling liquid it emits when startled.

Western conifer seed bugs are native to the west coast of the USA, but have been established on the east coast since the 1990s. While they are only considered a minor pest of the coniferous trees they attack (pines, Douglas fir and hemlock), they can be a major inconvenience if they find a way to enter your home. Small infestations can be handled by sealing up any parts of your home that the bugs could be using to sneak in (holes in screens, chimneys, loose window fittings) and by capturing escapees by hand or by shop vac. Larger infestations may require consultation with a licensed pest specialist.

To learn more about the Western conifer seed bug, read this fact sheet from Cornell University's Insect Diagnostic Laboratory.

Biocontrol released in Michigan for emerald ash borer

Researchers from the USDA have added another tool to the arsenal against the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis, "EAB"). As reported in this article from E: The Environmental Magazine, three different wasp predators, all natural enemies of the EAB, are currently being reared and released into the wild to fight the tiny green invasive beetle. The release sites are all in Michigan, where ash trees have been under attack since the late 1990s.

The emerald ash borer has never been found in New England, but state agencies in Massachusetts remain on the lookout for this pest. To learn more about it, check out our EAB pest fact sheet. You can learn more about this and other pests of the Great Lakes region by visiting the Illinois CAPS blog.

Asian Longhorned Beetle Regulated Area - Updated

The regulated area for the Asian longhorned beetle infestation has been expanded. The updated area includes all of the city of Worcester, and parts of the towns of Boylston, Holden, Shrewsbury, and West Boylston. Download the latest map here, or visit the official Massachusetts ALB Eradication Program page for more information.

Ruling out the Asian Longhorned Beetle

The Asian longhorned beetle attacks several different types of trees. For those of you who are concerned about this pest and who are just starting to examine your local trees, it can be overwhelming to think that every hole, pit and pile of sawdust you find could be ALB. Here are some tips that will help you rule out ALB as the cause of tree damage:

• ALB attacks only hardwood trees (maple, birch, willow, etc.). Pines, fir, cedar, juniper and other conifers are "softwood" trees and are not susceptible to ALB. Other trees that are not susceptible to ALB: alder, dogwood, hickory, walnut.
• ALB is not considered a pest of oak trees. Records indicate an oak tree in New York was found with ALB damage, but the tree was located next to many heavily infested trees that were known hosts for ALB.
• There are many beetles and other insects that damage trees by boring holes in the wood or damaging the bark. It takes an experienced eye to detect the difference between damage caused by ALB and other insects. To learn more, view our ALB fact sheet, visit our Worcester photo gallery, or download this excellent training guide from the Canadian Forest Service.
  

Every infestation of ALB allows researchers to learn more about the preferences of this pest. The list of potential host species is regularly updated by the USDA, and the latest version can be downloaded here.

Learn to spot ALB leaf damage

While the major damage caused by the Asian Longhorned Beetle occurs when the larvae of this insect bore into the wood of tree trunks and branches, adult beetles do feed on the leaves and twigs of their host plants. Rather than cutting circular or oval holes in leaves, like many other beetles, the ALB tears away at the veins of the leaf, creating jagged holes:

Twig damage is a little trickier to spot:


Note how the beetle strips off the outer tissue of the twigs. Similar damage can also be seen on leaf stems. This type of feeding often causes early leaf drop, so look for signs of feeding damage on leaves that are on the ground below the tree.

(Photos courtesy of Michael T. Smith, USDA-ARS)

Asian Longhorned Beetle in Massachusetts

The Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis, "ALB"), a pest of hardwood trees including maple, birch and horse chestnut, was recently discovered in Worcester, Massachusetts. An astute resident of the Greendale section of Worcester reported the sighting, and it was confirmed by entomologists from USDA APHIS-PPQ earlier this week.

The Asian Longhorn Beetle is an invasive species native to China. It was first discovered in the U.S. in New York in 1996, and has also been found in Chicago and New Jersey. The beetles cause damage by tunneling within the trunks and branches of trees, disrupting the sap flow and weakening and eventually killing them.

This pest attacks a wide variety of hardwood trees, particularly maples, and is considered a serious threat to the nursery, lumber, wood products, maple syrup, and tourism industries in our state. If it became established over a large area, it could also significantly disrupt the forest ecosystem.

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, and the City of Worcester are partnering with the U.S. Forest Service and USDA APHIS-PPQ to coordinate a management plan to eradicate this species in Massachusetts. First steps include a survey of the area to determine the extent of the infestation, and regulatory management to prevent movement of host trees and wood out of the infested area. Infested trees will need to be removed and destroyed, and susceptible host trees may need treatment to prevent further infestations.

To learn more about the Asian longhorned beetle, see our fact sheet.

If you think you have seen this beetle, we encourage you to submit a report and photos, or you can call our Pest Hotline at 617-626-1779. Any specimens you capture should be placed in a container and frozen, and please do not disturb any infested trees or move any wood that you think could have been affected by this pest.

To sign up for pest alerts from the Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project, visit this page.

Pest Alert: Viburnum leaf beetle

Viburnum leaf beetle (Pyrrhalta viburni), a pest of Viburnum species including arrowwood and European cranberry bush, has been confirmed in three new counties in Massachusetts.

The Viburnum leaf beetle was first discovered in Massachusetts in 2004, in Berkshire County. In July 2008, new sightings of this introduced pest were reported in Bristol, Franklin, and Middlesex County, and were recently confirmed by Robert Childs, an entomologist at UMass Extension. Eradication efforts at these sites are currently underway.

For more information, read the full pest alert.

Emerald Ash Borer Sightings

Over the past couple of weeks, there have been two new sightings of the emerald ash borer beetle (Agrilus planipennis, "EAB") in the USA and Canada, including Quebec (a first for the province) and Mercer County, Pennsylvania (the fifth county in PA since the beetle was first found there in 2007).

The end of June is considered "peak emergence" time for the species, when adults are most likely to emerge from underneath the ash bark they spend the beginning part of their lives burrowing in. With many states and Canadian provinces actively trapping for the EAB, there may be further reports of the presence of this invasive species throughout the summer. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation monitors emerald ash borer traps placed throughout our state, which remains EAB-free.

(Photo of EAB courtesy of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Forestry Archive, Bugwood.org)

Asian Longhorned Beetle ID

Update: The Asian longhorned beetle was found in Worcester, Massachusetts in August 2008. If you think you have seen this beetle, please report it here.

With summer almost upon us, insects are entering their active season here in New England. At this time of year, we also start getting more pest reports from concerned citizens across the state. Over the next few weeks, posts here at the MIPOP blog will focus on arming you with the tools you need to spot and identify some of the invasive insect species the state is monitoring for.

One thing that makes insect identification tricky is when there are species that look similar to each other, sometimes fooling even the trained eye. One well-known invader, the Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis), has a native look-alike that you may encounter in Massachusetts, the whitespotted pine sawyer (Monochamus scutellatus). Upon first glance, it can be easily mistaken for the ALB. However, the whitespotted pine sawyer has a distinctive white spot at the top of where its wing covers ("elytra") meet, while the ALB has none. This comparison of both species shows the location of that white spot on both the male and female whitespotted pine sawyers (click on the image to see it in full size):

Also, note that the white markings on the wing covers and antennae are much more visible on the Asian longhorned beetle. For more information, visit this page from the University of Vermont, and also see our fact sheet.

If you think you've seen an Asian longhorned beetle, or any of the introduced pests, weeds or diseases featured on our website, you can report it and send us a photo here.

All About the Emerald Ash Borer

Michigan State University has produced a very informative video about the history and control of the emerald ash borer beetle (Agrilus planipennis, or "EAB"). It features Dave Roberts, the biologist who first identified the EAB in Michigan back in 2002. The movie runs about 24 minutes and is divided into nine sections, including general information about the EAB, components of the federal eradication program, and a number of different case studies.

Massachusetts and other New England states remain on the lookout for EAB. While it has not been detected in our part of the USA, it is good to know that Michigan is documenting their experiences with this ash-destroying invasive species.

When it comes to firewood, go local

With camping season in full swing, this is an important reminder to avoid transporting firewood to or from camping sites. Using local firewood sources is an important way that you can prevent the spread of introduced pests, from plant diseases to boring insects such as the Asian longhorned beetle or the emerald ash borer. Research has shown that more than 75% of the infestations of emerald ash borer in the Midwest were caused by the transporting of firewood. Read more about the reasoning behind using local firewood sources in this article in The Jamestown Press, or on this page from the Maine Forest Service.

Success against the ALB

Last month, the state of Illinois and the USDA claimed a big victory in the battle against the Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis or "ALB"), officially declaring it "eradicated" in Illinois. This declaration follows more than four years of active surveys during which no signs of the beetle were found.

The ALB was first discovered in Chicago, Illinois in 1998. Between then and 2006, more than 1700 maple trees (the preferred host for this species) in and around Chicago had to be removed. You can read more about the ALB success story in this USDA press release.

The Asian longhorned beetle was discovered in Worcester, Massachusetts in August 2008. If you think you have seen this beetle, please report it here. The Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey program, from which the MIPOP website and blog are derived, continues to actively survey nurseries to ensure that they do not become vectors for this dangerous pest.

Update on Honeybees and CCD

This week's ARS Newslink, produced by the Agricultural Research Service, has an update on work being done to understand the causes and impacts of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). A survey done this year indicated that more than a third of beekeepers in the USA had at least one honeybee colony where all adult bees were lost, a key symptom of CCD. Unfortunately, the cause behind these losses continues to elude biologists. To address this, the ARS Bee Research Laboratory in Maryland has enlisted beekeepers to allow regular sampling of healthy hives, with the hope that studying these hives will help researchers understand what causes CCD when it does occur.

For more information about Colony Collapse Disorder, check out the full article in the May/June 2008 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.

Seeking Healthy Hemlocks

Have you spotted any healthy hemlock trees in your walks through the forested land of this state? If so, researchers at the University of Rhode Island may be interested in your find. An effort is underway to find eastern hemlock trees (Tsuga canadensis) resistant to two introduced pests, woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) and elongate hemlock scale (Fiorinia externa), with the goal of raising healthy new trees from cuttings taken from resistant individuals.

You might have found a good candidate tree if it meets the following requirements:

• in a forested setting
  
• at least 10 feet tall
  
• relatively free of signs of the woolly adelgid
  
• has deep green needles on full, thick branches
  
• surrounded by dead, mature hemlock trees
  
• naturally resistant (not treated using insecticides or other control measures)

Report possible sightings to URI grad student Laura Ingwell by phone, at 401-874-4083, or by email at: hemlock AT etal DOT uri DOT edu.

Read more about the search for healthy hemlocks in this article from the Providence Journal, or this URI press release. If you want to learn more about how to identify the eastern hemlock, try this site or this one.

Biocontrol Successes

There is a good article in the Boston Globe today summarizing the state's work on the Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol Project. Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is one of the 141 plant species on the state's Prohibited Plant List, and was categorized as invasive by the Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group.

Beth Suedmeyer of the Massachusetts Wetlands Restoration Program currently heads the biocontrol project, which has released over 300,000 Galerucella beetles to eat purple loosestrife since 2000. As with most biological controls, a Galerucella beetle attack does not immediately destroy purple loosestrife, rather, the beetles are a tool used to keep current populations of this invasive plant in check.

Suedmeyer is now training citizen scientists to raise and release the beetles, which have shown some evidence of beginning to breed and spread on their own. Visit the Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol Project for more information, including how you can raise beetles and what to do if you see a Galerucella beetle in the wild.

Winter Moth Biocontrol

Last week I headed out to UMass Amherst to meet with some of the people in Cooperative Extension that participate in the Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project. While there, I got a tour of the Elkinton Lab, where they are working on a few different biological control projects that target insect pests. One of those projects is the rearing of a parasitic fly, Cyzenis albicans, for control of the winter moth (Operophtera brumata).

Right now, winter moth eggs are just about ready to hatch in Massachusetts, but in the Elkinton lab, the caterpillars are several weeks ahead of schedule, being raised in the best of conditions for the sole purpose of becoming incubators for the biocontrol flies.

Here is a batch of fly pupae:


The pupae are placed in a cage along winter moth caterpillars and some tree branches. Once the flies emerge, the presence of the caterpillars causes them to lay eggs. The eggs are collected and then fed to other caterpillars, to raise even more flies that will be released into the wild later this season.

Links:

• MIPOP Winter Moth Fact Sheet
  
• Biological Control of Winter Moth in Massachusetts (2005 Project Report, pdf file)
  
• Winter moth update, UMass Extension Landscape Message for April 17, 2008

New pesticide shows promise in fighting EAB

While we don't have the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis, "EAB") here in Massachusetts, other states are not so lucky. Now there may finally be some good news about beating this pest. As reported over at the Illinois Cooperative Agriculture Pest Survey Program blog, Illinois has just registered a promising new pesticide, Emamectin Benzoate, for use against the beetle. Sold under the trade name Tree-äge™ (pronounced "triage"), EB is a systemic insecticide, and is applied as a trunk injection at the base of ash trees.

State agencies in Massachusetts remain on the lookout for the emerald ash borer. To learn more about this wood-boring invader, check out our pest fact sheet.

Eastern Plant Board Meeting

Last week I attended the annual meeting of the Eastern Plant Board, in Charleston, West Virginia. The EPB is part of the National Plant Board, an organization made up of the plant pest regulatory agencies from every state in the union (plus Puerto Rico). There was a lot of business covered over the three days of the meeting, plus we also got to hear some good talks, including one about trapping methods for insect sampling (that's a bucket funnel pheromone trap, used for trapping moths, to the right of this paragraph).

While I was not fortunate enough to get to see West Virginia's emerald ash borer quarantine zone, a bunch of us did get to visit the WV Department of Agriculture offices, where they have the largest collection of locally-trapped insects in the state, including this whole slew of locust leaf miners (Odontota dorsalis, a native leaf beetle that particularly enjoys the leaves of the black locust, Robinia pseudoacacia):