A new key to the Wood Boring Beetles of the World is now available online. The key includes identification characters for ten different beetle families as well as fact sheets and many excellent photos. It was developed by the USDA/APHIS/PPQ Center for Plant Health Science and Technology (CPHST) using LUCID software, and required Java to [...]
The invasive plant Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) was discovered this past summer in Hobomock Pond in Pembroke, Massachusetts, only the second known site in our state. A volunteer from the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Weed Watchers Program made the discovery in August and contacted DCR biologists, who confirmed the identification. A survey of the pond [...]
Are you part of a garden club, environmental group, or other organization that wants to learn more about the invasive insect pests, plant pathogens and weeds that threaten our state? The Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project offers free lectures and training sessions covering everything from the Asian longhorned beetle to pathogens like sudden oak death, [...]
An infestation of mile-a-minute vine (Polygonum perfoliatum) was discovered last month on Block Island, located off the coast of Rhode Island. The initial sighting was in a swamp owned by The Nature Conservancy, in several patches covering more than 400 square meters. A small additional population was also found in the yard of an island [...]
This time of year, the Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project’s Pest Hotline gets a lot of calls and emails about Giant Hogweed. Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) is a large, stout plant in the Carrot family, and due to its toxic sap, is a federally listed noxious weed. It has been present in Massachusetts for several [...]
On Saturday June 7th, from 1-4pm, the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge will host an information and training session on the identification and control of Perennial Pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium). The training will be in Newburyport, MA at PRNWF Headquarters (6 Plum Island Turnpike). The first hour will be spent indoors learning about Pepperweed and control [...]
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 [...]
If you are a Massachusetts resident concerned about invasive plants, consider signing up for one of the IPANE Volunteer Training Sessions being held this May and June. IPANE teaches volunteers how to identify invasive plants and enlists them to conduct monitoring surveys across New England. The beginner training for western Massachusetts is coming up soon, [...]
Asian Longhorned Beetle News