This informal report by the Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology is a commentary on insects, diseases, and curiosities division staff encounter on a week-to-week basis. Comments and questions about this report are welcome and can be sent to your respective Inspector.
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Angela Rust (Nursery Inspector & Compliance Officer) -
I’m sharing some photos of woolly apple aphid (Eriosoma lanigerum) on Gala apple. The ‘woolly’ part of the name is in reference to the waxy, cottony secretions produced by these insects, which help hide them from predators. You will notice clusters of white, cottony masses on tree limbs and trunks. Inside the masses are light, purple-colored aphids. Woolly apple aphids feed above and below the ground. Root feeding by aphids causes the most damage, particularly to young trees. Root feeding results in the development of galls that block the movement of nutrients. Yellow foliage, especially on young trees, may be a sign of root infestation by woolly apple aphid. Infestations of this pest warrant control, especially on young trees.
Will Drews (Nursery Inspector & Compliance Officer) -
I’ve found a couple of interesting scale insects recently during inspections. Most recently, I noticed some peculiar spots on black gum ‘Wildfire’ leaves. On closer inspection, they were being caused by little scale insects feeding on them. These scale insects are most likely black gum scale (Chionaspis nyssae). This species is a type of armored scale in the family Diaspididae. Armored scales protect themselves by creating a made of wax and other excrements. The female scales tend to have bigger and rounder coverings than the males, where they’ll lay their eggs. Armored scales are sap suckers and will feed on the fluids in plant leaves, petioles, and stems. Unlike soft scales, armored scales do not produce honeydew. Black gum scale is relatively specialized, usually only feeding on its namesake, its relative water tupelo, and a handful of other tree species.
The other scale insect I found recently was on honey locust trees. It has a similar appearance to black gum scale—albeit a little smaller—but with some more prominent ridges on the waxy covering. I’m inclined to believe that it is honey locust scale (Chionaspis gleditsiae), which specializes on honey locusts and a few other tree species. That would mean that this is another armored scale species, closely related to black gum scale.
Armored scale insects in high enough populations can cause significant damage to ornamental, shade, and fruit tree species. Dormant oil applications can be used in the dormant season to control overwintering scales on the trunks and branches. During the growing season, a number of products can be used to treat crawlers (just make sure the product mentions the ability to control armored scales on the label).
Vince Burkle (Assistant Division Director & Nursery Inspector) -
We have newly detected spotted lanternfly populations near Waterloo in DeKalb County and Kendallville in Noble County. Please be on the lookout for this insect and submit any findings to our new spotted lanternfly reporting tool.
We are also noticing the 4th instar nymphal stage of spotted lanternfly in Huntington. This is when the nymphs develop red and black body coloration with white spots.
Jared Spokowsky (Nursery Inspetor & Compliance Officer) -
I have not seen much in the way of new pests this week, so it’s going to be mainly bee related info again. A lot of our summer flowers are really starting to bloom now. Mountain mints and hyssop are both just starting at my place. Both are HIGHLY attractive to honeybees as well as other pollinators. I was also fortunate to capture a honeybee working blazing star and to my surprise, it has white pollen. Blazing star isn’t particularly high on the honeybee list, but I thought it was cool anyway. I received calls from beekeepers who were afraid they had American foulbrood, but it turned out to be European in both instances. When differentiating between American and European it is important to remember that European foulbrood kills before the cells are capped while American foulbrood kills predominately after the cells are capped.
Kristy Stultz (Nursery Inspector & Compliance Officer) -
The Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology had the opportunity to spend some time at the Indiana Black Expo last week. We had a fantastic time chatting with folks about spotted lanternfly.
This past week, I saw more mite damage on arborvitae, but the mites seem to have vacated the premises, at least for now. On oaks, I found jumping oak gall and oak hedgehog gall, neither of which were in any great abundance. I did see one Ailanthus webworm moth (Atteva aurea) also just hanging out on the oaks.
Phil Marshall (State Forest Health Specialist) -
I have had Japanese beetle adults mating and feeding on my peach trees since last week. There is also some feeding on apples but not much.
The first report of an adult spongy moth was a female moth found on a white oak in Fort Wayne. This is the first time a female moth was reported before a male moth. The female had laid eggs, so the male flight likely started June 22 or 23. Male spongy moth emergence was verified on June 27 based on reports from trap tenders checking traps. The first reports were from Fort Wayne and South Bend.
Eric Biddinger (Nursery Inspector & Compliance Officer) -
I have seen a lot of irrigation and watering issues over the last couple of weeks. In the middle of that hot, humid streak through mid-June, I was actually seeing a good bit of overwatering. The humidity was so high that plants struggled to move water through transpiration. Now that the temperature has broken it is even more important to pay attention to watering. Plants may be transpiring more water on these cooler, sunny, windy days with lower humidity. I’ve always been an advocate for watering containers based on weight. Pick up a few containers before you water. You might be surprised at the weight difference even across a single bench or table.
Has anyone else noticed issues with the red maple ‘Burgundy Belle’? The last few times I have seen this cultivar in nurseries, they have been almost uniformly chlorotic, especially when compared to other maple cultivars. I think they might not be well adapted for some of our heavier clay soils. This is something I will be looking at going forward.
The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) submitted an inventory of lost farmland report to the Legislative Council. In 2023, the Indiana General Assembly passed House Enrolled Act 1557, which tasked ISDA to complete an inventory of lost farmland in Indiana from 2010-2022.
ISDA determined through the inventory of lost farmland that there has been an overall reduction of farmland acres of approximately 1.5-2% from 2010-2022. This represents a loss of approximately 350,000 acres. The results show that agricultural land was most likely to be lost in areas around the edges of cities and suburban areas. The primary cause of reduction in farmland was due to residential use.
“Agriculture is, and always has been, the lifeblood of the Hoosier state,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “Data is critical for all levels of government when making decisions that may affect our rural communities and food security.”
ISDA used two sources of data – (1) parcel data from the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance(DLGF) and (2) the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Crop Data Layer (CDL). Both datasets have different qualities that make them desirable for attempting to discern both the quantity of land use change and the causes of land use change.
“The inventory of lost farmland was an opportunity for ISDA and legislators to gain access to reliable data, where up until now, we could only make assumptions,” said Don Lamb, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. “This information is important to have for policy development as we work to balance economic growth, food security and the preservation of agricultural land, because we know when agriculture is strong, Indiana is too.”
Despite the loss in acreage, yield data from USDA NASS shows that Indiana’s production of its cash crops has increased. In 2012, Indiana produced over 597 million bushels of corn for grain, and in 2022 yielded over 1 billion bushels. Indiana produced nearly 219 million bushels of soybeans in 2012 and saw that number increase to over 326 million in 2022.
ISDA outlined several recommendations within the report to the Legislative Council, including that legislation be passed directing ISDA to update the inventory of lost farmland every five years, starting in 2029 for a report to be published in 2030.
To view the full 2010 to 2022 report or narrative, click here or visit isda.in.gov.
During the 95th Indiana FFA State Convention, 12 FFA members from across the state participated in a rigorous interview and selection process.
The following members were selected to serve Indiana FFA and its 13,000+ members as a 2024-25 Indiana FFA State Officer:
• President – Ethan Wolheter, Prairie Heights FFA
• Secretary – Christina Caldwell, Connersville FFA
• Northern Region Vice President – Stephanie Berenda, South Newton FFA
• Southern Region Vice President – Cale Williams, Terre Haute South FFA
• Treasurer – Kyatalin Baker, Switzerland County FFA
• Reporter – Sienna Alexander, Monrovia FFA
• Sentinel – Garrett Bolin, Indian Creek FFA
Weekly Review for June 21, 2024
This informal report by the Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology is a commentary on insects, diseases, and curiosities division staff encounter on a week-to-week basis. Comments and questions about this report are welcome and can be sent to your respective Inspector.
Our Website
Inspector Territories
Announcements
1) Indiana DNR’s 2024 Spongy Moth aerial treatments were completed as of Monday, June 17. Please visit our spongy moth website for more information on our treatment program.
Photos: Spongy moth mating disruption treatment in Richmond, Indiana (photos by Jared Spokowsky)
2) Nursery inspector Will Drews received an award from SICIM (State of Indiana Cooperative Invasives Management) for his work with terrestrial invasive species at the 2024 Indiana Invasive Species Conference at Brown County State Park. Congratulations Will!
Reports
Diane Turner (Nursery Inspector & Compliance Officer) –
I have recently been seeing a good amount of red-headed flea beetle, Systena frontalis, damage specifically on hydrangeas in nursery production throughout Indiana. This small insect is about 1/6 inch long with a metallic black oval body and a reddish-yellow head. As the name suggests, this flea beetle jumps when disturbed, like a dog flea.
Adult beetles feed on the leaves of a wide variety of popular ornamental shrubs like hydrangea, azaleas, rhododendrons, weigela, and roses. Although the leaf-feeding rarely harms overall plant health, plants with a significant amount of damage are often too unsightly to sell.
Left: Red-headed flea beetle, Systena frontalis, adult on hydrangea (Hydrangea spp.) Right: Feeding damage caused by the adult red-headed flea beetle on hydrangea leaves.
Kristy Stultz (Nursery Inspector & Compliance Officer) -
A lot of Christmas tree growers also dig nursery stock. While doing an inspection for one such establishment, I noted tags from last season. It’s important to remember to remove those tags, especially if they’re snugged on tight like this one. It won’t take that branch long to girdle itself.
One of the best things about inspecting any type of nursery is the opportunity to stop and smell the roses, or in this case, stop and watch a hover fly enjoy field sowthistle. Someone should enjoy this non-native flower.
Jared Spokowsky (Nursery Inspetor & Compliance Officer) -
I wish I could say I had some good news for once but as I usually tell people if I show up it’s not good news. The first research paper confirming Tropilaelaps mites in western Russia on Ukraine’s border was released last month. You can read the whole paper (its only two pages) at this link. After Varroa every beekeeper should be familiar with this. It’s not in the western hemisphere yet but its pattern of spread indicates it could be in short order. There are very few people in positions like mine across the country so it’s most likely going to be found by a beekeeper first. Without early detection and reporting we have little chance of eradication before it becomes established. Currently the only thing that works at controlling these mites is formic acid and brood breaks.
I’ve been taking so many photos of what bees are working while doing inspections I am going to start to unload some more of them here. At the end of the season, I hope to put a complete list together with a few notes on preference.
Left: Honeybee on Quickfire Hydrangea (I was quite surprised how much activity this had). Right: Quickfire hydrangea also had quite a bit of other insect activity including this longhorned beetle.
Left: Honeybee on Blue Velvet St. John’s wort (Sunburst is also a common variety that gets a lot of activity, I think all St. John’s wort does for that matter). Right: Honeybee and a paper wasp on a linden.
Left: Lindens attract quite a few insects including this soldier beetle and green sweat bee. Right: tuliptree scale.
In addition to bees I’ve seen a few other issues on nursery stock including tulip tree scale on tulip poplar, fall webworm on redbud, rose rust, fire blight on ninebark, quince rust on service berry, Japanese beetle, cottony maple scale and ambrosia beetles.
Left: Fall webworm on redbud. Right: Rose rust (top of leaf).
Left: Rose rust (bottom of leaf). Right: Rose rust close up.
Quince rust on serviceberry.
Ambrosia beetle damage and the same area showing the bark removed to see the hole more clearly.
Left: White oak in a landscape with herbicide damage. I have noticed a marked increase in this type of damage since Dicamba resistant soybeans were released. This was not a nursery tree but an established landscape tree next to the nursery. Right: Redheaded ash borer. This is a native ash pest which can cause significant damage to ash but this is the first time I have seen it in quite a few years.
Left: Cottony maple scale on linden. Right: Zebra swallowtail. The host for this butterfly (which is one of our most impressive IMO) is the paw paw. I tend to only find these in VERY close proximity to paw paw. But I did have a nursery owner who planted a bunch of paw paw and within a couple years he had them flying around the nursery so I guess you could say “plant it and they will come.”
Eric Biddinger (Nursery Inspector & Compliance Officer) -
I have heard a meteorologist call our current weather pattern a “flash drought.” With that in mind, irrigation should be on everyone’s mind. Along with increased watering, be on the lookout for leaching and nutrient deficiency issues, especially in smaller containerized stock.
While working through a Christmas tree farm last week, I spotted this droopy white pine. Turns out this was white pine weevil damage. So often we catch this critter in the second year after the center leader is already dead. At this point, the larvae were already down to the next node and have already caused significant structural damage to this tree.
White pine weevil damage.
The best small farm field day in Indiana is Thursday, July 25, 2024 at the Purdue Student Farm (1491 Cherry Lane, West Lafayette, IN. 47906) starting at 8:00 am.
Topics include: food safety updates, packhouse tours, weed & insect management, crop production, and more. Register online at: https://am.ticketmaster.com/purdue/smfarm.
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