Woody ornamental insect and non-insect arthropod pests to consider, a selected few:
- Gypsy Moth: (Lymantria dispar) Overwintered egg masses laid by female moths in 2017 can be seen in certain areas of the state at this time. Egg masses are “fuzzy” or hairy and brownish-tan in color. Each egg mass can hold up to 500-1000 eggs. These masses may be found on host plant trunks and branches such as oak (favored), maple, birch, poplar, and many others, but are also laid on inanimate objects including the surfaces of homes, outdoor furniture, camping equipment, firewood piles, etc. This may make the accidental movement of gypsy moth egg masses possible.
Gypsy moth egg hatch has been observed in Boylston, MA (Worcester County) as of 2:00 PM on 5/3/2018. This same location was checked on 5/2/2018, and hatch had not yet begun. With the high temperatures the past two days, growing degree day accumulations have accelerated. Gypsy moth egg hatch typically occurs between 90-100 Growing Degree Days, using a base of 50°F and average temperatures. This is usually around the first week in May in Massachusetts, but variations in temperature may lead to early egg hatch in the last week in April. This can also coincide with serviceberry (Amelanchier) bloom. A location in Belchertown, MA that had a high population of gypsy moth caterpillars in 2017 was checked again on 5/1/2018. Due to the gypsy moth caterpillar-killing fungus (Entomophaga maimaiga), the population at that specific location seems to have collapsed, and very few egg masses were found. At a location in Amherst, MA checked on 5/1 and 5/3/2018, significant numbers of gypsy moth egg masses were located. None of the egg masses have hatched yet at that location as of May 3rd. With the summer-like temperatures predicted for many areas of Massachusetts at this time, locations that have not already accumulated enough GDD’s for gypsy moth egg hatch may do so quickly. We will continue to monitor egg masses and report observed egg hatch at any of our monitored locations as it occurs.
After egg hatch, groups of tiny gypsy moth caterpillars may remain on their egg mass just before crawling to the canopy of their host plant, where they can disperse using a technique known as “ballooning”. Ballooning occurs when very young caterpillars spin a silken thread and catch the wind to blow onto a new host plant once the thread breaks. This method of dispersal can lead to host plants becoming defoliated that previously did not have egg masses directly on them. Egg masses may be present on nearby oaks, for example, and provide a local population of caterpillars.
Despite the fungal outbreak that swept through the 2017 caterpillar population, some lucky caterpillars survived to pupation and emerged as adult moths. (However, adults were present in 2017 in far fewer numbers than would have existed without the fungus.) While it is very difficult to predict how much defoliation Massachusetts will see in 2018 due to gypsy moth caterpillar feeding, we can be certain that in areas where many egg masses are currently seen overwintering, pockets of defoliation could still occur in certain areas of the state this year. Thanks to the gypsy moth caterpillar-killing fungus, however, the population should be on the decline, but we cannot expect the caterpillars to disappear completely from Massachusetts landscapes this season.
- Winter Moth: (Operophtera brumata) The winter moth population is at a record low! The 2018 outlook concerning winter moth caterpillar population numbers in Massachusetts is very positive for those of you in the eastern areas of the state accustomed to dealing with damaging populations of this insect. Dr. Joseph Elkinton, Professor of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, has excellent news: data from his lab’s research locations in eastern Massachusetts suggest that this invasive pest’s population size is at an all-time low. In fact, the 2017 winter moth population was the lowest they have seen since studying and working toward the biological control of this insect for the past 13 years.
In Barnstable, MA, winter moth caterpillars were detected in crabapple buds on 4/23/18. Winter moth caterpillars were reported in the buds of Japanese maple and three-flowered maple (Acer triflorum) in Hanson, MA on 5/1/2018. Although it is predicted that winter moth caterpillar populations will be reduced this year, it is recommended that you monitor host plants for the presence of winter moth caterpillars. For region-specific information, see the Scouting Reports above.
In landscape settings in eastern Massachusetts, there may still be small, pocketed areas where ornamental trees and shrubs need protection from winter moth in 2018. For protection in landscapes, it is best to wait until the leaves of susceptible hosts completely unfold and monitor for feeding caterpillars, prior to treatment, especially since populations in Massachusetts are so low this year. For more information about the life cycle and management of winter moth, please visit thisfact sheet: Winter Moth Identification and Management ( https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/winter-moth-identification-management ).
Winter moth is a non-native insect that was identified in Massachusetts for the first time in 2003 following persistent reports of defoliation in eastern areas of the state such as Cape Anne and on the North Shore near Cohasset, Hingham, and Rockland on the South Shore in the late 1990’s. For more detailed information about the history of this insect pest in North America and Massachusetts, please visit this fact sheet: Winter Moth in Massachusetts: History and Biological Control ( https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/winter-moth-in-massachusetts-history-biological-control ).
This fact sheet also includes updates regarding the progress of the work of Dr. Joseph Elkinton’s laboratory group at the University of Massachusetts and their efforts toward the biological control of winter moth using Cyzenis albicans, a tachinid fly. The fly parasitizes the caterpillars of winter moth specifically. In other areas, such as Nova Scotia where winter moth was also problematic, this fly used for biological control has been successful in reducing winter moth to a non-pest. C. albicans has been released across 43 sites in Massachusetts and has been established in at least 32 of those locations as evidenced through the recovery of flies in winter moth in subsequent years. The Elkinton Lab now has data showing that at six of these locations (Falmouth, Hanson, Hingham, Wellesley, Wenham, and Yarmouth, MA) the fly populations have increased alongside an observed decrease in the winter moth population there. For more information about the progress of winter moth biological control in Massachusetts, visit the following article in Hort Notes found under “Trouble Maker of the Month”, here: https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/newsletters/hort-notes/hort-notes-2018-vol-292 .
- Asian Longhorned Beetle: (Anoplophora glabripennis, ALB) Look for signs of an ALB infestation which include perfectly round exit holes (about the size of a dime), shallow oval or round scars in the bark where a female has chewed an egg site, or sawdust-like frass (excrement) on the ground nearby host trees or caught in between branches. These particular signs of damage from the beetle may be more visible at this time of year, when host trees such as maples are first leafing out. Be advised that other, native insects may create perfectly round exit holes or sawdust-like frass, which can be confused with signs of ALB activity.
The regulated area for Asian longhorned beetle is 110 miles2 encompassing Worcester, Shrewsbury, Boylston, West Boylston, and parts of Holden and Auburn. If you believe you have seen damage caused by this insect, such as exit holes or egg sites, on susceptible host trees like maple, please call the Asian Longhorned Beetle Eradication Program office in Worcester, MA at 508-852-8090 or toll free at 1-866-702-9938. Adult insects of this species will not be present at this time of year.
To report an Asian longhorned beetle find online or compare it to common insect look-alikes, visit: http://massnrc.org/pests/albreport.aspx or https://www.aphis.usda.gov/pests-diseases/alb/report .
- Balsam Twig Aphid: Mindarus abietinus is active between 30-100 GDD’s, base 50°F. Inspect the needles of Balsam fir, Fraser fir, and other true firs for “stem mothers” that will soon be reproducing. Young aphid feeding will lead to distorted foliage. (Needles curl.) Excessive amounts of honeydew are produced and cause needles to stick together. Monitor for the presence of reproducing females and treat with an oil application as weather permits, according to label instructions.
- Cooley Spruce Gall Adelgid: Adelges cooleyi is active between 22-81 GDD’s, base 50°F. This insect can be found in the crevices of bark on terminal twigs and bases of buds of blue and Norway spruce. Manage overwintering nymphs prior to gall formation on spruce (roughly 22-81 GDD). Oil applications on Douglas fir should be made before bud break to avoid phytotoxicity. On Douglas fir, this insect does not form galls. On that host, they feed within tiny, white, cottony balls on current year and older needles. Do not plant spruce and Douglas fir close together. Do not fertilize either host (spruce or Douglas fir) if it is infested with this insect.
- Deer Tick/Blacklegged Tick: Ixodes scapularis adults have been active all winter, as they typically are from October through May, and “quest” or search for hosts at any point when daytime temperatures are above freezing. For images of all deer tick life stages, along with an outline of the diseases they carry, visit: http://www.tickencounter.org/tick_identification/deer_tick .
Anyone working in the yard and garden on springtime cleanup and planting should be aware that there is the potential to encounter deer ticks at this time. The deer tick or blacklegged tick can transmit Lyme disease, human babesiosis, human anaplasmosis, and other diseases. Preventative activities, such as daily tick checks, wearing appropriate clothing, and permethrin treatments for clothing (according to label instructions) can aid in reducing the risk that a tick will become attached to your body. If a tick cannot attach and feed, it will not transmit disease. For more information about personal protective measures, visit: http://www.tickencounter.org/prevention/protect_yourself .
Have you just removed an attached tick from yourself or a loved one with a pair of tweezers? If so, consider sending the tick to the UMass Laboratory of Medical Zoology to be tested for disease causing pathogens. To submit a tick to be tested, visit: https://www.tickreport.com/ and click on the red “Test A Tick” button. Results are typically available within 3 business days, or less. By the time you make an appointment with your physician following the tick attachment, you may have the results back from TickReport to bring to your physician to aid in a conversation about risk.
The UMass Laboratory of Medical Zoology does not give medical advice, nor are the results of their tests diagnostic of human disease. Transmission of a pathogen from the tick to you is dependent upon how long the tick had been feeding, and each pathogen has its own transmission time. TickReport is an excellent measure of exposure risk for the tick (or ticks) that you send in to be tested. Feel free to print out and share your TickReport with your healthcare provider.
You can also follow TickReport on Twitter @TickReport for timely updates from the Laboratory of Medical Zoology, including the latest tick and tick-borne disease related research.
- Eastern Spruce Gall Adelgid: Adelges abietis is a pest of Norway spruce primarily, but occasionally damages other spruce species. This adelgid overwinters as a partially grown female, often referred to as a stem mother. This overwintering individual will mature around bud break and lay 100-200 eggs. The eastern spruce gall adelgid may be targeted for management between 22-170 GDD’s, base 50°F.
- Eastern Tent Caterpillar: Malacosoma americanum eggs hatch between 90-190 GDD’s, base 50°F, which typically coincides with unfolding cherry leaves in the spring. Egg masses of Malacosoma americanum vary from those of Malacosoma disstria, the forest tent caterpillar, as they have a rounded edge whereas M. disstria egg masses have square edges. Scout for and remove eastern tent caterpillar egg masses prior to hatch on susceptible hosts such as cherry and crabapple. Other host plants impacted by this native insect can include apple, ash, birch, willow, maple, oak, poplar, and witch-hazel.
- Elongate Hemlock Scale: Fiorinia externa is found on eastern, Carolina, and Japanese hemlock, as well as yew, spruce, and fir. Crawlers will be present this month and throughout the growing season and the overlap of many developmental stages at any given time can be observed. Treatments for the crawler, or mobile, stage of this insect may be made in late May through mid-June, or between 360-700 GDD’s, base 50°F.
Emerald Ash Borer: (Agrilus planipennis, EAB) A new detection of emerald ash borer was confirmed recently by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation in a new community in Norfolk County, MA. A map of this location and others known across the state may be found here: https://ag.umass.edu/fact-sheets/emerald-ash-borer .
This wood-boring beetle readily attacks ash (Fraxinus spp.) including white, green, and black ash and has also been found developing in white fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus) and most recently, has been reported in cultivated olive (Olea europaea). Adult insects of this species will not be present at this time of year. Signs of an EAB infested tree may include (at this time) D-shaped exit holes in the bark (from adult emergence in previous years), “blonding” or lighter coloration of the ash bark from woodpecker feeding (chipping away of the bark as they search for larvae beneath), and serpentine galleries visible through splits in the bark, from larval feeding beneath. Positive identification of an EAB-infested tree may not be possible with these signs individually on their own.
For further information about this insect, please visit: https://ag.umass.edu/fact-sheets/emerald-ash-borer . If you believe you have located EAB-infested ash trees, particularly in an area of Massachusetts not identified on the map provided, please report here: http://massnrc.org/pests/pestreports.htm .
- European Pine Sawfly: Neodiprion sertifer caterpillars will be active roughly between 78-220 GDD, base 50°F. The primary host in MA is Mugo pine but it can be found on Scots, red, jack, and Japanese red pine and is also found on white, Austrian, ponderosa, shortleaf, and pitch pine when near the aforementioned species. This dark colored caterpillar feeds in tight groups and small numbers can be pruned or plucked out of host plants and destroyed. Larger numbers can be treated with an insecticidal soap spray when the caterpillars are still small. Spinosad products can be used whenever the caterpillars are actively feeding, usually by mid-May and when caterpillars are still small. Bacillus thuringiensis Kurstaki is not effective against sawflies.
- Forest Tent Caterpillar: Malacosoma disstria egg hatch will occur between 192-363 GDD’s, base 50°F, which typically coincides with sugar maple bud break. Scout for and prune out or otherwise remove any reachable forest tent caterpillar egg masses, which can hold 100’s of eggs, on susceptible hosts such as oak, birch, ash, maple, elm, poplar, and basswood at this time.
- Hemlock Looper: Two species of geometrid moths in the genus Lambdina are native insects capable of defoliating eastern hemlock, balsam fir, and white spruce. Adult moths lay their eggs on the trunk and limbs of hosts in September and October and eggs will hatch by late May or early June. Monitor susceptible hosts for small, inch-worm like caterpillars. Where populations are low, no management is necessary.
- Hemlock Woolly Adelgid: Adelges tsugae is present on eastern and Carolina hemlock. Infested trees may be treated with foliar sprays in late April to early May, using Japanese quince as a phenological indicator. Look for the females, covered in a white, woolly, waxy material and settled at the base of hemlock needles.
- Imported Willow Leaf Beetle: Plagiodera versicolora overwintered adults are present and have been reported as active and found on willow foliage on 5/2/2018 in Hanson, MA. Adult beetles will chew holes and notches in the leaves of willow. Egg laying will continue through the end of this month. Females lay yellow eggs in clusters on the undersides of leaves. Larvae are slug-like and bluish-green in color. They will feed in clusters and skeletonize the leaves. Most plants can tolerate the feeding from this insect, and foliage will appear brown. Repeated yearly feeding can be an issue, in which case management of the young larvae may be necessary. Take care with treatment in areas near water.
Lily Leaf Beetle: Lilioceris lilii overwintering adults have been spotted by scouts in central Massachusetts (Worcester County) and adult beetles were seen feeding on and hiding in new host plant foliage in Amherst, MA on 5/2/2018. Adults overwintered in sheltered places and are now active with the warm temperatures. As soon as susceptible hosts such as Lilium spp. (Turk’s cap, tiger, Easter, Asiatic, and Oriental lilies) and Fritillaria spp. break through the ground, the adult lily leaf beetles are known to feed on the new foliage. (Note: daylilies are not hosts.) Typically, in May, mating will occur and each female will begin to lay 250-450 eggs in neat rows on the underside of the foliage. If there are only a few plants in the garden, hand picking and destroying overwintering adults can help reduce local garden-level populations at this time.- Snowball Aphid: Neoceruraphis viburnicola becomes active on certain species of viburnum roughly between 148-298 GDD’s or around redbud bloom. This insect is particularly noticeable on V. opulus, V. prunifolium, and V. acerifolia. Stem mothers, appearing blueish-white, can be found in curled up and distorted foliage. Damage caused by this insect pest is mostly aesthetic.
- Spotted Lanternfly: (Lycorma delicatula, SLF) is not known to occur in Massachusetts. This insect is a member of the Order Hemiptera (true bugs, cicadas, hoppers, aphids, and others) and the Family Fulgoridae, also known as planthoppers. This insect is a non-native species first detected in the United States in Berks County, Pennsylvania and confirmed on September 22, 2014. Until November 2017, this invasive insect was only known to Pennsylvania. It has now been reported from Delaware (November 20, 2017), New York (November 29, 2017), and most recently in Virginia (January 10, 2018). The Delaware Department of Agriculture announced the finding of a single female spotted lanternfly in New Castle County in the Wilmington, Delaware area. At this time, officials in Delaware note that it is unclear if this individual was an accidental hitchhiker, or evidence of an established population in the state. For more information about the find in Delaware, visit: https://news.delaware.gov/2017/11/20/spotted-lanternfly-confirmed-delaware/ . The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets reported on November 29, 2017 the finding of a single dead individual spotted lanternfly in the state from earlier in the month. A single dead specimen was confirmed at a facility in Delaware County, New York, which is located south-west of Albany. The NYS Dept. of Agriculture and Markets states that this dead individual may have come in on an interstate shipment. For more information about the find in New York, visit: https://www.agriculture.ny.gov/AD/release.asp?ReleaseID=3637 . Most recently, Virginia Cooperative Extension announced the finding of a spotted lanternfly population in Frederick County, Virginia, on January 10, 2018. It was noted that at the location in Virginia, numerous adult lanternflies and egg masses were discovered, in addition to more at another site approximately 400 yards away. For more information about the find in Virginia, visit: https://ext.vt.edu/agriculture/commercial-horticulture/spotted-lanternfly.html .
The spotted lanternfly is considered native to China, India, and Vietnam. It has been introduced as a non-native insect to South Korea and Japan, prior to its detection in the United States. In South Korea, it is considered invasive and a pest of grapes and peaches. The spotted lanternfly has been reported from over 70 species of plants, including the following: tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) (preferred host), apple (Malus spp.), plum, cherry, peach, apricot (Prunus spp.), grape (Vitis spp.), pine (Pinus spp.), pignut hickory (Carya glabra), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.), slippery elm (Ulmus rubra), tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), white ash (Fraxinus americana), willow (Salix spp.), American beech (Fagus grandifolia), American linden (Tilia americana), American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), big-toothed aspen (Populus grandidentata), black birch (Betula lenta), black cherry (Prunus serotina), black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), black walnut (Juglans nigra), dogwood (Cornus spp.), Japanese snowbell (Styrax japonicus), maple (Acer spp.), oak (Quercus spp.), and paper birch (Betula papyrifera).
The adults and immatures of this species damage host plants by feeding on sap from stems, leaves, and the trunks of trees. In the springtime in Pennsylvania (late April - mid-May) nymphs (immatures) are found on smaller plants and vines and new growth of trees and shrubs. Third and fourth instar nymphs migrate to the tree of heaven and are observed feeding on trunks and branches. Trees may be found with sap weeping from the wounds caused by the insect’s feeding. The sugary secretions (excrement) created by this insect may coat the host plant, later leading to the growth of sooty mold. Insects such as wasps, hornets, bees, and ants may also be attracted to the sugary waste created by the lanternflies, or sap weeping from open wounds in the host plant. Host plants have been described as giving off a fermented odor when this insect is present.
Adults are present by the middle of July in Pennsylvania and begin laying eggs by late September and continue laying eggs through late November and even early December in that state. Adults may be found on the trunks of trees such as the tree of heaven or other host plants growing in close proximity to them. Egg masses of this insect are gray in color and look similar to gypsy moth egg masses.
Host plants, bricks, stone, lawn furniture, recreational vehicles, and other smooth surfaces can be inspected for egg masses. Egg masses laid on outdoor residential items such as those listed above may pose the greatest threat for spreading this insect via human aided movement.
For more information about the spotted lanternfly, visit this fact sheet: https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/spotted-lanternfly .
- Spruce Spider Mite: Oligonychus ununguis is a cool-season mite that becomes active in the spring from tiny eggs that have overwintered on host plants. Hosts include spruce, arborvitae, juniper, hemlock, pine, Douglas-fir, and occasionally other conifers. This particular species becomes active in the spring and can feed, develop, and reproduce through roughly June. When hot, dry summer conditions begin, this spider mite will enter a summer-time dormant period (aestivation) until cooler temperatures return in the fall. This particular mite may prefer older needles to newer ones for food. When damaging spruce spider mite populations are known from last season, dormant oil applications can be made (when temperatures are appropriate according to label instructions) between 7-121 GDD’s, base 50°F. Magnification is required to view spruce spider mite eggs. Tapping host plant branches over white paper may be a useful tool when scouting for spider mite presence. (View with a hand lens.) Spider mite damage may appear on host plant needles as yellow stippling and occasionally fine silk webbing is visible.
- Viburnum Leaf Beetle: Pyrrhalta viburni is a beetle in the family Chrysomelidae that is native to Europe, but was found in Massachusetts in 2004. This beetle feeds exclusively on many different species of viburnum. This insect overwintered in the twigs of the host plant as eggs, which hatch soon after bud break. Now is the time to inspect susceptible plants (including but not limited to viburnum such as V. dentatum, V. nudum, V. opulus, V. propinquum, and V. rafinesquianum) for over-wintered eggs on stems toward branch tips. Inspect branches for egg laying sites created by female viburnum leaf beetles last season. These will appear as small holes approximately 1 mm. in diameter that have been capped with a lid made of chewed bark and excrement, which may appear raised above the surface of the twig. Larvae, when they are present, may be treated with a product containing spinosad once they appear soon after bud break. Larvae are typically first present between 80-120 GDD’s, base 50°F, which often coincides with redbud bloom. Some viburnum have been observed to have varying levels of resistance to this insect, including but not limited to V. bodnantense, V. carlesii, V. davidii, V. plicatum, V. rhytidophyllum, V. setigerum, and V. sieboldii. More information about viburnum leaf beetle may be found at http://www.hort.cornell.edu/vlb/ .
- White Spotted Pine Sawyer (WSPS): Monochamus scutellatus will be pupating this month and adults can emerge in late May throughout July, depending on local temperatures. This is a native insect in Massachusetts and is usually not a pest. Larvae develop in weakened or recently dead conifers, particularly eastern white pine (Pinus strobus). However, the white spotted pine sawyer looks very similar to the invasive Asian Longhorned Beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis, ALB. ALB adults do not emerge in Massachusetts until July and August. Beginning in July, look for the key difference between WSPS and ALB adults, which is a white spot in the top center of the wing covers (the scutellum) on the back of the beetle. White spotted pine sawyer will have this white spot, whereas Asian longhorned beetle will not. Both insects can have other white spots on the rest of their wing covers; however, the difference in the color of the scutellum is a key characteristic. See the Asian longhorned beetle entry above for more information about that non-native insect.
- Woolly Elm Aphid: Eriosoma americanum females lay a single egg in the cracks and crevices of elm bark, where the egg overwinters. Eggs hatch on elm in the spring as leaves are unfolding. Aphids may be active from 121-246 GDD’s, base 50°F on elm. A young, wingless female hatched from the egg feeds on the underside of leaf tissue. This female aphid matures and gives birth to 200 young, all females, without mating. These aphids feed, and the elm leaf curls around them and protects them. By the end of June, winged migrants mature and find serviceberry hosts. Another set of females is produced. These new females crawl to and begin feeding on the roots of serviceberry. Multiple generations occur on the roots of serviceberry through the summer.
Concerned that you may have found an invasive insect or suspicious damage caused by one? Need to report a pest sighting? If so, please visit the Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project: http://massnrc.org/pests/pestreports.htm .
A note about Tick Awareness: deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis), the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), and the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) are all found throughout Massachusetts. Each can carry their own complement of diseases. Anyone working in tick habitats (wood-line areas, forested areas, and landscaped areas with ground cover) should check themselves regularly for ticks while practicing preventative measures. Have a tick and need it tested? Visit the web page of the UMass Laboratory of Medical Zoology (https://www.tickreport.com/) and click on the red Test a Tick button for more information.
Reported by Tawny Simisky, Extension Entomologist, UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery, & Urban Forestry Program
