Invasive Insect Webinars

Invasive Insect Webinar Series 2021

Spotted lanterfly adult. (Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org)Jan 19 & 26, February 2 & 9, 2021

Join UMass Extension’s Landscape, Nursery, and Urban Forestry Program and UMass Extension’s Fruit Program for an exciting FREE series of webinars focusing on the impact, monitoring, and management of invasive insects in Massachusetts and the nation! Topics to include invasive forest pests in MA, spotted lanternfly, the biological control of winter moth, Asian longhorned beetle updates, planned detection surveys in Massachusetts and New England, integrated pest management of spotted-wing drosophila and brown marmorated stink bug and more! There will also be an update about non-native earthworms, close relatives of the insects, which have attracted a lot of attention in recent years. Scroll to the bottom of the page for recordings of previous webinars in this series.

Please note: while participants from anywhere are invited to attend, much of the material presented will be specific to Massachusetts and New England.

To be notified of upcoming webinar dates and topics, join our e-mail list at: https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/email-list. Don’t wait, register now! 

This FREE series was supported by the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture through grant AM180100XXXXG025. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the presenters and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA. 

CREDITS

Pesticide contact hours

For each day, 2 pesticide contact hours are available for categories 25, 27, 29, 35, 36, 48 and Applicators (core) license. 
Pesticide contact hours are available only for the live webinars, not for the recordings. 

Association Credits

MCA/MCLPs earn 1 Education Credit for each day, both the live and recorded versions. Submit your request for CEUs using these links:

ISA and MCH credits available for attending the live webinars only.

 

Agenda

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2021

View the recorded webinar of both of these topics at https://youtu.be/wiWKn08x7tU.

10:00 - 11:00 AM: Invasive Earthworms in Massachusetts - Biology, Impacts, and Research Updates
Dr. Olga Kostromytska, Extension Assistant Professor and Turf Entomologist, UMass Stockbridge School of Agriculture 
Technically, earthworms are not insects. However, these organisms have garnered a lot of interest from the public in recent years. Dr. Kostromytska will discuss the identification and biology of invasive earthworms of interest in Massachusetts. This will include information about "crazy/jumping worm" species (Amynthas spp.) that have many homeowners in MA and New England concerned. She will also share updates about current research in her lab. Powerpoint slides for this topic. Q&A for this topic.

11:10 AM – 12:10 PM: 2021 Forest Health Updates for Massachusetts
Nicole Keleher, Forest Health Program Director, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
Nicole Keleher, DCR Forest Health Director, will discuss what impact to expect from our forest pests and diseases in 2021. She will talk about our common insects, new invaders to be on the lookout for, and the impact the drought will have on our trees.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2021

View the recorded webinar of both of these topics at https://youtu.be/XwJRnzO2alE.

10:00 – 11:00 AM: Spotted lanternfly in Massachusetts and the US
Joshua Bruckner, Forest Pest Outreach Coordinator, MA Department of Agricultural Resources
Spotted lanternfly is a highly destructive insect that has appeared in several states on the east coast. Learn about this pest’s lifecycle and biology, what aspects of Massachusetts life it threatens, and what’s being done to control and stop its spread.

Additional resources on this topic from the Massachusetts Dept. of Agricultural Resources:

11:10 AM – 12:10 PM: Successful Biological Control of Winter Moth in Eastern New England
Dr. Joseph Elkinton, Professor of Entomology, Dept. of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts
The winter moth, Operophtera brumata, an inchworm caterpillar that is native to Europe, became a devastating invasive defoliator of many species of forest and shade trees in eastern New England beginning in the late 1990’s. Dr. Elkinton will discuss a biological control effort based on the introduction of the specialist fly parasitoid Cyzenis albicans. Each year for 14 years, the Elkinton lab collected and reared C. albicans from British Columbia and released them across sites in the northeastern United States. By 2016 they have documented a decrease in the winter moth population along with an increase in parasitism rates by C. albicans.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2021

View the recorded webinar of both of these topics at https://youtu.be/dvSnjO1925U.

10:00 - 11:00 AM: 2021 Updates from the MA Asian Longhorned Beetle Cooperative Eradication Program
Ryan Vazquez, Program Director, USDA APHIS PPQ-Asian Longhorned Beetle Cooperative Eradication Program- Massachusetts 
Mr. Vazquez will discuss current progress toward the eradication of the invasive Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis; ALB) in Worcester, MA and surrounding towns. This will include current program updates for the effort in Massachusetts, as well as a discussion of the most recent detection of ALB in the United States in Hollywood, South Carolina in 2020.

11:10 AM – 12:10 PM: Trapping for New Invasives in MA – 2021 Updates & APHIS Update for MA 
Kate Aitkenhead, State Plant Health Director for CT/MA/RI, USDA APHIS PPQ
Ms. Aitkenhead will discuss USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine efforts to detect new invasive insect pests in Massachusetts and regionally. This will include planned pest detection surveys in 2021 as well as notable results from 2020. Ms. Aitkenhead will also discuss surveys, detection methods, and signs to look for the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) in Massachusetts. Powerpoint slides for this topic.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2021

View the recorded webinar of both of these topics at https://youtu.be/li8CD3Dgttk.

10:00 – 11:00 AM: The 1-2-3 Approach For Spotted-Wing Drosophila and Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Integrated Pest Management in Small Farms
Dr. Jaime Pinero, Extension Associate Professor and Tree Fruit Entomologist, UMass Stockbridge School of Agriculture
Managing the invasive pests spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) and brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) has been a challenge for fruit and vegetable growers. This presentation will discuss the most relevant aspects of SWD and BMSB biology and behavior, effective monitoring tools, and reduced-risk Integrated Pest Management tools, including organic options, that can be implemented by small- and mid-scale growers.

11:10 AM – 12:10 PM: Spotted Lanternfly Monitoring in Massachusetts: Testing Airborne Attractants for Early Detection
Tawny Simisky, Entomology Specialist, UMass Extension’s Landscape, Nursery, and Urban Forestry Program, Dr. Miriam Cooperband, Entomologist, Otis Laboratory, USDA-APHIS-PPQ, Dr. Jeremy C. Andersen, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Environmental Conservation, Dr. Jaime Pinero, Extension Associate Professor and Tree Fruit Entomologist, UMass Stockbridge School of Agriculture, and Dr. Joseph Elkinton, Professor of Entomology, Dept. of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts
This presentation will introduce a 2021 research and extension project that will use airborne attractants and traps for the early detection of the spotted lanternfly in Massachusetts. Ms. Simisky will briefly review the biology, identification, impacts, and monitoring for SLF. Dr. Cooperband will discuss her research findings regarding lures and trapping for SLF. Dr. Andersen will introduce an Integrated Research and Extension project to be conducted this season by the presenters. He will also discuss trapping, testing of lures, and eDNA sampling to be completed by the Elkinton Lab at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Dr. Pinero will share information about the work and contributions to this project to be completed by the Pinero Lab at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Archived Recordings

2021 Invasive Insect Webinars (Pesticide contact hours and ISA credits are not available for viewing these recordings.)

  • Invasive Earthworms in Massachusetts - Biology, Impacts, and Research Updates
    Dr. Olga Kostromytska, Extension Assistant Professor and Turf Entomologist, UMass Stockbridge School of Agriculture

    2021 Forest Health Updates for Massachusetts
    Nicole Keleher, Forest Health Program Director, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
    Watch the recorded webinar of these two topics at https://youtu.be/wiWKn08x7tU.

  • Spotted lanternfly in Massachusetts and the US
    Joshua Bruckner, Forest Pest Outreach Coordinator, MA Department of Agricultural Resource

    Successful Biological Control of Winter Moth in Eastern New England
    Dr. Joseph Elkinton, Professor of Entomology, Dept. of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts
    Watch the recorded webinar of these two topics at https://youtu.be/XwJRnzO2alE.

  • 2021 Updates from the MA Asian Longhorned Beetle Cooperative Eradication Program
    Ryan Vazquez, Program Director, USDA APHIS PPQ-Asian Longhorned Beetle Cooperative Eradication Program- Massachusetts 

    Trapping for New Invasives in MA – 2021 Updates & APHIS Update for MA 
    Kate Aitkenhead, State Plant Health Director for CT/MA/RI, USDA APHIS PPQ
    Watch the recorded webinar of these two topics at https://youtu.be/dvSnjO1925U.

  • Approach For Spotted-Wing Drosophila and Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Integrated Pest Management in Small Farms
    Dr. Jaime Pinero, UMass Stockbridge School of Agriculture and Extension Fruit Program

    Spotted Lanternfly Monitoring in Massachusetts: Testing Airborne Attractants for Early Detection
    Dr. Jaime Pinero, UMass Stockbridge School of Agriculture and Extension Fruit Program; Tawny Simisky, UMass Extension Entomologist; Dr. Jeremy C. Andersen, UMass Amherst; and Dr. Miriam Cooperband, APHIS
    Watch the recorded webinar of these two topics at https://youtu.be/li8CD3Dgttk.

2020 Invasive Insect Webinars

Scroll to the bottom of the page for recordings of previous webinars in this series. Pesticide contact hours are not available for viewing these recordings. 

  • Research Updates: Chemical Management of the Spotted Lanternfly
    Dr. Phil Lewis, Project Leader with the APHIS Otis Laboratory

  • Overview of Spotted Wing Drosophila Monitoring and Management Options 
    Dr. Jaime Pinero, UMass Stockbridge School of Agriculture and Extension Fruit Program

  • Spotted Lanternfly and Environmental DNA: Insect Monitoring of the Future
    Dr. Julie Lockwood, Professor and Chair, Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, Rutgers University

  • Green Industry and Homeowner Response to the Spotted Lanternfly in Pennsylvania
    Emelie Swackhamer, Horticultural Educator, Penn State Extension 

  • The Invasive Pest Brown Marmorated Stink Bug in Massachusetts: Biology, Monitoring, and Management
    Elizabeth Garofalo, UMass Extension Fruit Program), and Dr. Jaime Pinero, UMass Stockbridge School of Agriculture and UMass Extension Fruit Program

  • Progress towards Controlling the Emerald Ash Borer with Biological Control
    Dr. Juli Gould, Entomologist, USDA-APHIS-PPQ 
    Handout from Dr. Gould's Webinar: Emerald Ash Borer Biological Control Release and Recovery Guidelines

  • Invasive Insects of Trees & Shrubs in Massachusetts: 2020 Updates 
    Tawny Simisky, Entomologist, UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery, and Urban Forestry Program