| Ash borer | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Sesiidae |
| Genus: | Podosesia |
| Species: | P. syringae |
| Binomial name | |
| Podosesia syringae Harris, 1839 | |
The ash borer (Podosesia syringae), or lilac borer, is a clearwing moth in the family Sesiidae. It is found throughout North America and can be a pest of ash and lilac.
Like other clear wing moths, ash borers have partially transparent wings due to a lack of colored scales on the wings. [1] The body is brown with yellowing striping on the legs and abdomen, and can give the appearance that the ash borer is a paper wasp. [2] [3]
Ash borer adults feed on nectar and will lay their eggs in the bark of lilac, ash, and privet, but can attack closely related plants in its range within North America. [1] Larvae feed beneath the bark by chewing into the sapwood. Larval feeding can destroy the tree's phloem, weakening and possibly killing already stressed or very young trees by increasing the potential for wind damage or wilting. [1] Pupae overwinter in the feeding gallery and emerge as adults the following spring. Adults begin to emerge between April and July or 300 to 500 growing degree days above 50 °F (10 °C) or about one week after full bloom of lilac. [1]
Pheromone traps can be used to monitor for the presence of ash borers. [3] Minimizing tree stress through mulching, watering during drought, and avoiding damage from equipment can reduce the occurrence of damage. [3] In areas where ash borers are present and causing damage, insecticides can be applied to the trunk and branches before larvae chew into the bark. However, insecticides, are not effective once larvae are inside the tree. Even systemic insecticides that are incorporated by the tree that are normally effective for other wood-boring insects are not effective. [1]
Fraxinus, commonly called ash, is a genus of flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45–65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous, though a number of subtropical species are evergreen. The genus is widespread across much of Europe, Asia, and North America.
A pest is any animal or plant harmful to humans or human concerns. The term is particularly used for creatures that damage crops, livestock, and forestry or cause a nuisance to people, especially in their homes. Humans have modified the environment for their own purposes and are intolerant of other creatures occupying the same space when their activities impact adversely on human objectives. Thus, an elephant is unobjectionable in its natural habitat but a pest when it tramples crops.
Bookworm is a general name for any insect that is said to bore through books.
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The emerald ash borer, also known by the acronym EAB, is a green buprestid or jewel beetle native to north-eastern Asia that feeds on ash species. Females lay eggs in bark crevices on ash trees, and larvae feed underneath the bark of ash trees to emerge as adults in one to two years. In its native range, it is typically found at low densities and does not cause significant damage to trees native to the area. Outside its native range, it is an invasive species and is highly destructive to ash trees native to Europe and North America. Before it was found in North America, very little was known about emerald ash borer in its native range; this has resulted in much of the research on its biology being focused in North America. Local governments in North America are attempting to control it by monitoring its spread, diversifying tree species, and through the use of insecticides and biological control.
Cutworms are moth larvae that hide under litter or soil during the day, coming out in the dark to feed on plants. A larva typically attacks the first part of the plant it encounters, namely the stem, often of a seedling, and consequently cuts it down; hence the name cutworm. Cutworms are not worms, biologically speaking, but caterpillars.
Cleridae are a family of beetles of the superfamily Cleroidea. They are commonly known as checkered beetles. The family Cleridae has a worldwide distribution, and a variety of habitats and feeding preferences.
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Macrodactylus subspinosus is a North American beetle of the family Scarabaeidae. The members of this genus are known as "Rose chafers", not to be confused with the European "Rose chafer", Cetonia aurata. M. subspinosus occurs from Eastern Canada to Colorado and is considered a pest of many crops and flowers. It is given its common name of rose chafer because it eats the leaves of roses, although it also feeds on many other plants.
Synanthedon myopaeformis is a moth of the family Sesiidae and the order Lepidoptera. In Europe it is known as the red-belted clearwing and in North America as the apple clearwing moth. The larvae create galleries under the bark of fruit trees, especially old trees with damaged trunks. During this process, the larvae cause significant damage to host trees. Particular attention has been paid to the damage they cause to apple trees. Their status as a pest of apple orchards has led to many research projects aimed at controlling populations of the moth. This moth is native to Europe, the Near East and North Africa. Recently, the moth was introduced into North America, being first detected in Canada in 2005. There are several organisms that threaten the larvae, including parasitoids, nematodes, and bacteria.
Xanthogaleruca luteola, commonly known as the elm-leaf beetle, is a beetle species in the family Chrysomelidae that is native to Europe but invasive in other parts of the world.
Acleris semipurpurana is a species in the moth family Tortricidae, and one of several species of moth commonly known as oak leaftier or oak leaf tier. The larvae feed on the leaves of oak trees in the Eastern United States and southeastern Canada which can be a major cause of defoliation. The loss of leaves can kill or damage the affected trees, which are chiefly in the Lobatae or red oak section of Quercus, or oaks.
Archips semiferanus is a species of moth in the family Tortricidae, and one of several species of moth commonly known as oak leafroller or oak leaf roller. The larvae feed on the leaves of oak trees in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada and are a major defoliator of oak trees, which can lead to tree mortality. In Pennsylvania in the late 1960s and early 1970s, oak leafrollers defoliated over 1,045,000 acres (423,000 ha).
Synanthedon scitula, the dogwood borer or pecan borer, is a moth that is a pest of many plants including the dogwood and pecan. It is notorious due to the severity of damage it can cause and its widespread geographical distribution.
Sesia tibialis, the American hornet moth, poplar clearwing borer or cottonwood crown borer, is a moth of the family Sesiidae. It is known from North America, including British Columbia, Colorado, Utah, Michigan, Montana, Washington, California and Arizona.
Neoclytus acuminatus, the red-headed ash borer, is a common North American species in the longhorn beetle family (Cerambycidae).
CandidatusPhytoplasma fraxini is a species of phytoplasma, a specialized group of bacteria which lack a cell wall and attack the phloem of plants. This phytoplasma causes the diseases ash yellows and lilac witches' broom.
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Pissodes nemorensis, known generally as the eastern pine weevil or deodar weevil, is a species of true weevil in the beetle family Curculionidae. It is found in North America and Africa. Deodar weevils are considered a forest pest in the United States, with adults and larvae feeding on a variety of coniferous tree species, including trees such as Deodar cedar, loblolly pine, longleaf pine, sand pine, shortleaf pine, slash pine, and spruce pine Trees of all ages are susceptible to weevil infestations, with trees that are severely stressed by fire, drought, extreme cold, fusiform rust, wind damage, and other problems are prone to weevil infestation. In well managed pine stands, deodar weevil infestations are sporadic, attacking only the suppressed and unhealthy trees throughout the area. Because they do not typically effect healthy trees, they do not usually alter traditional management strategies. Unlike many other forest pests in the eastern United States, deodar weevils are most active in the winter months, and this is often when sign of infestations can be seen. The best way to avoid a deodar weevil infestation is to maintain good tree and stand health, healthy trees do not typically face mortality or extensive damage from these pests. If an infestation has occurred, pesticides can be used in the fall as the weevils become active, but is typically not recommended.