Introduction Bucculatrix ainsliella Murtfeldt is a skeletonizing species of Lepidoptera that can cause excessive damage to both forest and urban environments. Causal Agent The Oak Leaf Skeletonizer, Bucculatrix ainsliella is in the order Lepidoptera, which categorizes it as a defoliator in its larval stages (Gelok et al. 1998; Klass 1985; Van Nieukerken et al. 2012). It is a native species to Eastern United States and was once limited to Southern Canada and the Eastern coast of the United States to Mississippi (Baker 1972; Frank and Foltz 1997; Gelok et al. 1998). Since 1905, it is now found throughout Europe including the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany (Murtfeldt 1905; Van Nieukerken et al. 2012). Bucculatrix ainsliella is a foliage-feeding lepidopteran species that causes defoliation on oak trees, specifically red (Quercus rubra) and black (Quercus velutina) oaks. The first instar larval stage are leafminers, which burrow into the leaf and consume the nutrients between the layers of the leaf. Once they progress into the final instar larval stage they start to defoliate the trees. This stage of Bucculatrix ainsliella consume the external underside of the leaf, leaving the veins, which causes the leaves of the oaks to become less efficient in producing photosynthate (Baker 1972; Gelok et al. 1998; Klass 1985; Van Nieukerken et al. 2012). At the end of the final instar larval stage, they build 3 millimeter …show more content…
In forest ecosystems, heavy defoliation occurs occasionally when populations of the species are high and parasitoids are low (Klass 1985; Van Nieukerken et al. 2012). The crowns of oak trees (mainly Quercus rubra and Q. velutina) can experience thinning and die back due to the loss of structure to the leaves (Gelok et al. 1998; Klass 1985; Van Nieukerken et al. 2012). Spread and
However, once they infest a tree they will continue to feed on it for years, causing severe damage to nutrient transport systems, which can cause massive leaf die offs, dead roots, and the death of the tree itself.
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) most likely came to the United States through solid wood shipments from Asia, and has established its habitat in 25 states - including Georgia - and two Canadian provinces. The female lays eggs and the cream-colored larvae chew tunnels through the wood. The adults are shiny green beetles about a half inch in length and burrow through the wood. Symptoms of EAB infestation in a tree include vertical
Steyskal, G. C., Murphy, W. L., & Hoover, E. M. (1986). Insects and mites: techniques for collection and preservation. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural research.
The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, is a beetle that was first discovered in 2002 in the US near the Detroit area and southeastern portions of Michigan. This beetle is believed to have originated in Asia. The theory is that they arrived in the states in packing material made of wood on cargo ships traveling on the St. Lawrence River, which then leads into the Great Lakes. Since 2002, this beetle has made its way into parts of Canada and now in at least eighteen states in the US (Emerald, n.d.). They are causing major destruction of Ash trees in all of these areas, and Vermont is starting to take precautions to be prepared if and when these beetles show up in The Green Mountain
Laurel Wilt Disease is a scourge here in Florida. The disease affects laurel trees all over the Southeast, with the most notable victim being avocado trees. The beetles also effect sassafras trees, pond spice trees, and swamp bays. The main cause of this disease is a fungus known as Raffaelea Lauricola that is transmitted through a beetle called the red bay ambrosia beetle (Persea Borbonia). Neither of these species are native to the area. It was brought over to the states through wooden shipping containers that had contained the beetle insect. The insect and disease came from countries like India, Japan, Myanmar, and Taiwan. The disease works by having the beetle come into the country, hiding in the wooden crates. Once in America, the beetle enters into the environment and seeks trees to bore into for food and shelter. The beetles contain spores that containing the fungus that kills the host tree. The fungus then grows in the sapwood of the tree, restricting the flow of food, sap, and nutrients around the tree. This results in die back and eventually, a dead tree. The disease is known to highly effect the avocado industry and the natural forests in Florida. Currently, 61 out of 67 counties in Florida contain reports of Laurel Wilt Disease as of 2015. That is an enormous 91%.
The mountain pine beetle (MPB; Dendroctonus ponderosae) is a native insect of North America that induces pine tree mortality from bark boring infestation. On average, the MPB lives for one year with four stages of development (egg, larva, pupa and adult). The MPB remains burrowed within a host pine tree throughout all four stages of its life except in the late fall when the mature beetles leave a brood tree in search of a new reproduction site. When a MPB finds an optimal tree for infestation, pheromones are released which attract a swarm of adult beetles. After successfully burrowing into the Pine bark, egg galleries are created for the 75 eggs each female will lay, and these eggs develop into larvae that feed on the host tree's phloem.
In this lab, the class discovered the effects of different substrates and stimuli on red flour beetles. Red flour beetles eat flour and other grains and the female beetle deposits her eggs on flour, cereal, dry pet food, or other similar products. The larvae hatch and then begin to eat the material around them. In the article “Patch exploitation by Tribolium castaneum: Movement patterns, distribution, and oviposition”, it says that most of the activity from red flour beetles is spent in food sources (Campbell and Hagstrum). There are many factors that affect the red flour beetles ability to survive or reproduce, like temperature, food source, stress, and genetics (Biology 159). In “Humidity Reactions of Tribolium Castaneum (Herbst)”, it states that red flour beetles are attracted to different substrates due to their nutritional levels and moisture level of the substrate (Willis and Roth).
Emerald Ash Borers has killed millions of ash tree and put billions more at risk. Emerald Ash Borers originated in Asia and eastern Russia was first discovered in Canada in 2002. It is now widespread in Quebec and Ontario areas. Emerald Ash Borers can be spread to various parts of Canada and USA through infested firewood trading. Therefore the government of Canada has decided to restrict infested areas. Emerald Ash Borer arrived to Canada through trading forestry products. If we had been more careful, Emerald Ash Borers would have never entered Canada. Therefore our interaction in cutting down trees to trade and trading with others has an important effect on the welfare of our forests. The interaction of receiving wood from outside our country
Forests are carbon sinks, they absorb carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and store it in plant biomass and soils belowground. When the trees die, they stop absorbing and storing carbon dioxide, and as they decompose, they release some of the stored carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere (Suzuki & Moola, 2008). The mountain pine beetle (Aendroctonus ponderosae) is a primary agent of forest disturbance, a higher number of outbreaks occur due to favorable forest age and climate patterns (Progar et al., 2014). The mountain pine beetle (MPB) starts its attack when the female finds a pine tree (usually lodgepole) that is at least 80 years old. Upon finding the tree the female bores into it, while releasing a pheromone that attracts the male beetles. When the males arrive they, also release more pheromones to attract more females. The tree tries to defend its self by secreting a toxic resin. But the beetles carry spores of a blue-stain fungus in their mouths which they release as they bore into the tree, the fungus prevents the tree from transporting nutrients and water. The beetles lay eggs under the tree’s bark, and when the larvae hatch, they feed on the blue fungus until they are mature enough to leave the now dead tree (Aukema et al., 2006).
Over the last few decades in North America an insect has wreaked havoc on the coniferous trees that inhabit the Rocky Mountains. The insect known as the Mountain Pine Bark Beetle, or Dendroctonus ponderosae although once an important part of the cycle of life in the pines of the Rocky Mountains has recently grown out of control. Because of the beetles need to live inside of trees, they have adapted the ability to fight against the trees defenses, but in doing so have endangered the trees by cutting off their source of moisture throughout the tree. The Mountain pine beetle has an interesting physiology that allows it to burrow into trees. This causes many
In June of 2011, the Asian Longhorned Beetle was found in Clermont County, about 30 minutes from where I live now. Clermont County is home to East Fork State Park, a 4,870 acre state park which is comprised of about 50% woodland. The Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) is an invasive insect in Ohio that will host in about 10 different types of trees. This is an important topic to me because this invasive insect is not only single-handedly taking down forests in Ohio, but the introduction of an invasive species also disrupts the soil, air, and water quality. I chose this topic because more people need to be aware of the little things they are doing that can affect the environment. By moving firewood, different types of lumber, or nursery stock to a location that is not affected by the ALB will just make matters worse.
The ancient forests of the Northeast aren’t the only aspect of the bioregion that’s fate have been at perpetual risk since the early settlement of Europeans. There is no question that forests still dominate the landscape of Northeastern region accounting for “60% of the total land area, and in New England alone, the coverage is 80%”. Still the species that exist within the understory of the forests have undergone an equally dramatic transformation because of human interaction with the land and the harvest of its resources. Some species in the understory of the mixed forests of the Northeast have been driven out of the region, are under intense ecological pressure, are on the brink of extinction, or have already gone extinct in the region. Perhaps one of the most harmful and impactful effects colonization of the Northeast has had on the resources of the land is the introduction of non-native species and diseases into the region. Over time the overall makeup of the forests have changed drastically as an example, “…the American chestnut once made up as much as 25% of the trees in some areas and was economically the most important hardwood in the Eastern forests”. The introduction of chestnut blight at the turn of the century accounts for
The Dendroctonus ponderosae (Mountain Pine Beetle) is estimated to have killed 46 million acres of trees from 2000 to 2012 - an area nearly the size of the state of Colorado, as stated in an article released by the Union of Concerned Scientists. In response to this epidemic, the U.S. Forest Service estimates that “as many as 100,000 beetle-killed trees fall to the ground every day in Southern Wyoming and Northern Colorado alone”. The results of the early 2000’s outbreak clearly reflect the devastation, but the reasons behind the infestation are not as defined. It 's commonly believed that the cause of the Mountain Pine Beetle outbreak was warmer temperatures that decreased winter larvae
The Asian gypsy moth is an extreme defoliator, however there are other disturbances that it causes to threaten biodiversity by affecting native population dynamics and carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling (Jankovic and Petrovskii, 2013). The gypsy moth is one of many invasive species that has assaulted the deciduous trees found in eastern North America (Vitousek et al., 1996). The gypsy moth has a wide plant host range, which can be abundantly found in the American forests (Vitousek et al., 1996). Certain species such as beech, dogwood, and super maple trees are on a severe decline while the American elm and beech trees have been almost completely eliminated from the eastern forests by the gypsy moth (Vitousek et al., 1996). Defoliation
The deciduous forests of West Virginia, like all ecosystems, are diverse homes to numerous organisms interacting with each other. West Virginia University’s Core Arboretum provides a good representation of this diversity, providing a wide spectrum of interspecies interaction. For example, when the upper canopy of a forest grows its leaves it absorbs more sunlight, leaving the plants closer to the forest floor with about 2% of the emitted sunlight. To adapt to this, species will flower in a small window of time early in the spring season before the upper canopy becomes profuse. These species are called spring ephemerals. Some of the ephemeral species observed in the arboretum, such as the Viola pubescens, had not yet reached their window and did not contain a flower. Alternatively, species such as the Sangunaria Canadensis (Figure 1), had exceeded their window and completed its reproduction phase leaving no flower to be seen. While there are plenty of species within the arboretum worth mentioning, only a few will be reflected upon, starting with Sangunaria canadensis.