Category Archives: Ornamental Pest

Bugs, Crop Pests, Invasive Species, Ornamental Pest, Outdoor Insect Invaders, Shrubs, Tree Insects

2018 Update: Brown Marmorated Stink Bug in Wisconsin

Author’s Note: Original post updated in January, 2019 due to a confirmed report in Waupaca Co. and suspected report in Oneida Co.

One of the most concerning invasive insects to appear in Wisconsin in the last decade is the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys).  This Asian species delivers a double-whammy of not only damaging crops and other plants, but also being a significant nuisance when it sneaks into buildings in the fall. Since its initial detection in the state in 2010, populations of this insect have built up slowly but steadily. 

Brown marmorated stink bug adult on the side of a building in fall. This is becoming a common site in some parts of the Midwest. Photo Credit: PJ Liesch, UW Insect Diagnostic Lab.

What’s the current status of BMSB in Wisconsin?

As of late 2018, 28 counties have confirmed reports of the brown marmorated stink bug and a handful of other countries have suspected sightings.  This insect has a strong foothold in the state and was confirmed in eight new counties in 2018 alone—Eau Claire, Jackson, La Crosse, Marquette, Monroe, Richland, Trempealeau, and Waupaca counties. 

Distribution of the brown marmorated stink bug in Wisconsin—updated January 4th, 2019
Distribution of the brown marmorated stink bug in Wisconsin—updated January 4th, 2019. BMSB has been confirmed in 28 counties. Map Credit: PJ Liesch, UW Insect Diagnostic Lab.

Two core areas currently stand out for brown marmorated stink bug activity in Wisconsin: the Highway 41 corridor from Fond du Lac up to Green Bay and southern Wisconsin from Dane and Rock Counties east to the Milwaukee metro area.  These two areas have the longest history of BMSB in the state and account for the majority of reports thus far. 

Much of the state has yet to encounter this insect or truly experience its impacts.  When the brown marmorated stink bug is first detected in an area, there’s a proverbial “calm before the storm”.   The pattern observed in the state thus far has been a few “quiet” years where low initial populations of this insect result in only a few sightings annually.  However, after a few years in a given area, BMSB populations build up to the point where nuisance problems around structures are noted and reports of potential plant damage begin to trickle in.

What’s the Outlook for BMSB?

Unfortunately, Wisconsin has yet to see the full impact of this invasive insect.  Observations over the last few years have found that BMSB is able to survive our winters and reproduce in the state, so this adaptable pest will most likely continue to build its numbers in the coming years. 

Over time, the brown marmorated stink bug is likely to emerge as one of the top structure-invading pests in the state alongside the likes of boxelder bugs and multicolored Asian lady beetles.  In the eastern US, where BMSB has been established for over a decade in spots, problems can be significant.  In some cases these malodorous insects have been documented invading homes by the tens of thousands. 

Several brown marmorated stink bug juveniles on a dogwood shrub. Ornamental trees/shrubs, vegetables, and fruit crops can all be attacked by this insect. Photo Credit: PJ Liesch, UW Insect Diagnostic Lab.

While widespread crop damage has not yet been observed in Wisconsin, it may only be a matter of time as population of this insect continue to build in the state.  Agricultural problems have also been significant in the eastern US, giving us a glimpse into what could potentially happen in coming years.  For example, brown marmorated stink bug caused $37 million dollars in losses to apples in the mid-Atlantic states in 2010 alone.  

Having been detected in Portage County in 2017, brown marmorated stink bug may soon start to pose a threat to vegetable production in central Wisconsin.  Similarly, specimens confirmed from Door County in 2017 are forcing fruit growers in that part of the state to keep a close watch on their orchards and vineyards.  With the recent detection of BMSB in several western Wisconsin counties, we’ll likely see BMSB populations slowly build in that part of the state over the next few years as well. 

What should you do?

Borers, Ornamental Pest, Outdoor Worms, Sawflies, Wood-attacking Insects

A Wood-Boring Insect Mystery

Imagine it’s August and as you wander in from your backyard, you notice a small pile of sawdust at the bottom of the door frame.  It might not be much sawdust, but you also find a few holes in the wood trim nearby.  It definitely seems to be insect damage, but who’s the culprit?

Unexpected insect damage to wood trim.

If you came up with a list of insects in the upper Midwest that can damage the wood of your home, it wouldn’t be terribly long.  For good reason, termites might be the first insect to come to mind, although our eastern subterranean termites are restricted to isolated pockets and are not commonly encountered in Wisconsin.  A close second on the list might be carpenter ants.  Interestingly, carpenter ants don’t technically eat (e.g., digest) wood and merely excavate soft, rotting wood to create a nesting site.  If anything, their presence in a home might be an indicator of a water damage.  Powderpost beetles can also attack wood and are commonly encountered in old barn beams and log cabins.  Carpenter bees help round out a list of the “usual suspects”.  These wood-boring bees can create good sized holes (a half inch across), although with their preference for unpainted softwoods used for trim, siding, and fence posts, their damage is mostly cosmetic in nature. 

Then another clue comes to mind—the nearby shrubs that had been eaten by some kind of worm-like insect over the past few weeks. 

Larva of a dogwood sawfly showing the whitish, waxy coating. Photo Credit: PJ Liesch, UW Insect Diagnostic Lab

When it comes to wood-damaging pests, sawflies generally don’t come to mind.  Sawfly larvae—Mother Nature’s caterpillar copycats—tend to feed on plant leaves.  Species like the European pine sawfly, dusky birch sawfly, rose slug sawfly, Columbine sawfly, pearslug sawfly, and birch leafminer sawfly can all be commonly encountered feeding on plants during the growing season.  One species that was common in 2018—the dogwood sawfly—is unique in that it not only causes plant damage but can also damage wood trim and siding of homes.  The dogwood sawfly is one of our commonest pests of native and landscape dogwoods (Cornus spp.).  When larvae are small,  they have a whitish waxy coating thought to mimic bird droppings and they can often be found curled up on the undersides of dogwood leaves.  As larvae mature, they lose the waxy coating and their black and yellow coloration becomes conspicuous.   

Mature dogwood sawfly larva with classic black and yellow appearance.

So how does this plant-feeding species end up damaging wood?  As is the case with any insect that undergoes complete metamorphosis, the larvae need to pass through the pupal stage to make it to adulthood. Insect pupae, however, are generally immobile can make an an easy meal for any predator that stumbles upon them.  Thus, many insects seek out tucked away spots to complete their pupal stage.  When ready to pupate, dogwood sawfly larvae typically create their own hideaway by chewing small chambers in rotting wood such as twigs, branches, or logs near the shrub they had been feeding on. 

Small chambers chewed into a fallen twig—a “typical” spot for dogwood sawfly to pupate.

If rotting wood is unavailable, the larvae may turn to other nearby wood materials—including wood trim and siding.  This typically occurs when larvae had been feeding on ornamental dogwood shrubs planted close to a home.  In the grand scheme of things, these insects don’t cause that much damage to wood, although homeowners won’t be thrilled if they’ve been caught off guard by this unexpected wood-damaging pest! 

Ornamental Pest, Outdoor Worms, Sawflies

Sawflies: Caterpillar Copycats

As the old saying goes: if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck.  Following that logic: if it looks like a caterpillar, walks like a caterpillar,  and feeds on plants like a caterpillar, it’s probably a caterpillar—right?

This isn’t always the case and one important example would be the sawflies.  Sawfly larvae look an awful lot like true caterpillars (which turn into moths or butterflies), but these creatures are actually related to ants, bees and wasps.  In contrast, adult sawflies have a distinct wasp-like appearance which hints at the true evolutionary relationships of these creatures.

Elm sawfly adult. The wasp-like appearance reflects the relationship of sawflies to ants, bees, and wasps.

With a little know-how, you can learn to tell apart sawfly larvae from true caterpillars. In addition to three pairs of true jointed legs on the thorax, true caterpillars possess 4-5 pairs (or fewer for “inchworms”) of stubby, blob-like prolegs on their abdomen—each tipped with tiny velcro-like hooks (crochets) that can be seen under magnification.  Sawflies have more pairs of prolegs (7 pairs) and lack crochets.

Larva of the dogwood sawfly. Note the strong resemblance to a caterpillar, but this larva has seven pairs of stubby prolegs on the abdomen.

There are dozens of sawfly species in the Midwest, some of which can be considered plant pests, while others can go unnoticed due to their small size or cryptic habits.  The commonest sawfly species can be pests of pines and other conifers, elms, birches, and other hardwoods, and ornamental flowers and shrubs such as dogwoods, roses, and columbines.  If you’ve ever spent time thumbing through a caterpillar guide book and can’t seem to find a match, there’s always a chance you might be looking at a sawfly.

To further explore the world of sawflies, check out this article from the Wisconsin Master Gardener Program.

Beetles, Invasive Species, Ornamental Pest, Shrubs

The “New” Japanese Beetle in the Midwest

Move over Popillia japonica, there’s a new “Japanese beetle” in town.

As is typical in a given year, Wisconsin sees a few new invasive species in the state each year.  In 2016, one of the surprises was the arrival of the “two banded Japanese weevil” (Pseudocneorhinus bifasciatus), often simply called the “Japanese weevil”.  Weevils themselves are technically a type of beetle from the hyper-diverse family Curculionidae, which contains a plethora of weevils, curculios, and multitudes of bark beetles.  When talking to the public, it’s amazing how often the Japanese beetles feeding on landscape plants during the summer are mixed up with the Asian lady beetles (Harmonia axyridis), which invade homes in the fall.  Given the name of this new “Japanese weevil”, I’m expecting this creature to confuse the situation even more.

What is the Japanese Weevil?

The Japanese weevil (P. bifasciatus) is a non-native beetle that feeds on a wide variety of landscape plants, particularly shrubs.  Adult Japanese weevils are ~ ¼” long with a gray or brownish, pear-shaped body with black bands across the wing covers (elytra).  The pale larvae (grubs) live in the soil and feed on roots of suitable host plants.  We haven’t had this pest in Wisconsin long enough to fully understand the local life cycle, but given the pattern in other states, this insect will most likely complete one generation per year, with adult presence and feeding damage occurring during the summer from late June through August.

Photo Credit: Michael C. Thomas, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org
The invasive two banded Japanese weevil (Pseudocneorhinus bifasciatus). Photo Credit: Michael C. Thomas, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org

Where’s the Japanese weevil from?

Very similar to the Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica), the Japanese weevil is native to Japan and first popped up in the US in 1914, via the transport of infested nursery stock.  Like the Japanese beetle, the Japanese weevil feeds on a wide range of landscape plants.  When it first showed up in Wisconsin in 2016, the Japanese weevil was found on a variety of ornamental plants in Madison, WI.  How this species got to Wisconsin remains a mystery, but the movement of infested potted plants is the most likely explanation, as this insect is not capable of flight.  While the Japanese beetle is common across many parts of eastern North America, the Japanese weevil has a much more scattered distribution and can be found primarily in the Mid-Atlantic region with scattered cases in the Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Oklahoma.

What does this insect mean for Wisconsin?

Luckily, it seems that the Japanese weevil may not be nearly as big of a threat to landscape plants as the Japanese beetle.  When lots of Japanese beetles are present, entire trees can have their leaves nibbled into a lace-like skeleton.  In contrast, when the Japanese weevil feeds, it tends to cut notches out of the edges of leaves.  This damage can resemble the feeding of many caterpillar species, and healthy plants should be able to tolerate the feeding.  Reports from other states suggest that this insect unlikely to cause very severe damage.

The invasive two banded Japanese weevil (Pseudocneorhinus bifasciatus). Photo Credit: Michael C. Thomas, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org
The invasive two banded Japanese weevil (Pseudocneorhinus bifasciatus). Photo Credit: Michael C. Thomas, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org

Think you’ve found the Japanese weevil?

If you come across any beetles in Wisconsin feeding on landscape plants that resemble the Japanese weevil, send digital images and/or physical specimens to the UW Insect Diagnostic Lab for confirmation, so we can track this new arrival in the state.

Beetles, Flowers, Invasive Species, Ornamental Pest

Japanese Beetles: 100 Years and Counting

Ask any gardener or landscaper in the Midwest what their least favorite insect is, and the Japanese beetle will probably be near the top of the list.  Think of the plants that this insect feeds on: ornamental trees and shrubs like lindens, birches, crabapples, and roses, fruit crops like apples, pears, plums, raspberries, and strawberries, and garden and vegetable crops like beans and corn, as well as hundreds of other plants.  It’s no wonder gardeners have to be on alert for this insect.

japanese-beetle
Photo Credit: PJ Liesch, UW-Madison Entomology

So why the resurgence of Japanese beetle activity in 2016?  Every winter, a common topic I’m asked about is my “insect forecast” for the coming year.  Before winter had even ended, there was good reason to believe that the Japanese beetle would pop back up the state in 2016–and Mother Nature may be the cause.  Japanese beetle larvae (white grubs) spend the winter in the soil below ground.  In July, August, and September, these grubs can be found in the upper portion of the soil where they feed on the roots of turfgrass.  As winter approaches, the grubs tunnel deeper into the soil where they avoid being killed by a hard freeze.  In most parts of Wisconsin, we had a reprieve from Japanese beetles the past two years.  I suspect this may be due to the brutal winter of 2013-14, which had some extended periods of sub-zero temperatures.  It’s quite feasible that this deep frost killed many grubs and led to lower adult populations the following summer (2014).  Given enough time, the Japanese beetle populations were destined to rebound at some point, and the mild (el-Niño) conditions this past winter might have been just what they needed to bolster their numbers.  Unless we face another brutal winter in the next few years, I suspect that Japanese beetle numbers will be up for the foreseeable future in the state.

Ironically, there’s an important milestone to recognize for this invasive pest this year–the Japanese beetle was detected for the first time in New Jersey 100 years ago, in 1916.  Slowly, but surely, this insect spread through many parts of the eastern US, and has been spotted on occasion in isolated spots in the western states.  We also have an interesting history of Japanese beetles in Wisconsin.  Technically, our first detections occurred in the southeast part of the state in the 1960’s, although these populations struggled to take hold.  At the time, this seemed to be a comforting sign–perhaps, our famed “frozen tundra” was simply too cold for them.  However, by the 1990’s, Japanese beetles had gotten a solid foothold in the state and they’ve been around much to the chagrin of gardeners ever since.

Photo Credit: Michael C. Thomas, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org
The “new” Japanese Beetle on the block: the invasive Japanese weevil (Pseudocneorhinus bifasciatus). Photo Credit: Michael C. Thomas, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org

Interestingly there’s also a new “Japanese beetle” that showed up in Wisconsin this year: the invasive Japanese weevil (sometimes called the “two-banded Japanese weevil”).  Stay tuned more information about our newest invasive species in Wisconsin.

Invasive Species, Moths, Odd Insects, Ornamental Pest, Outdoor Worms, Pollinators, Shrubs, Tree Insects, Uncategorized

Wisconsin’s Top Insect Trends of 2015 (#5 – #1)

In this post, we’re continuing to count-down 2015’s top insect trends in the state.  This is the final post in a three part series.  Part I (2015’s diagnostic lab statistics) can be found here and Part II (Top Insect Trends Numbers 10-6) can be found here.

5) Pollinators
With all the headlines about bees, it’s not surprising to see pollinators in the top insect stories again in 2015.  Similar to other years in the recent past, honeybees and other pollinators have been facing declines.  Unfortunately, Wisconsin saw some of the highest honeybee losses in the country, with over 60% colony loss during the 2014-2015 period.  Some good news over the past year has been the development and release of pollinator protection plans.  A federal pollinator protection plan was released in May with the goals of reducing honeybee losses, increasing the population of Monarch butterflies, and increasing pollinator habitat.  In addition, a Wisconsin pollinator protection plan was announced in 2015, and was just released in January of 2016.   Due to the recent declines and their importance to agriculture in the state and nation, pollinators will continue to be in the spotlight in the future.

A ground nesting bee (Colletes sp.) near the stump of the former President's Oak on the UW-Madison campus. Photo Credit: PJ Liesch
A ground nesting bee near the stump of the former President’s Oak on the UW-Madison campus. Photo Credit: PJ Liesch

4) Spring caterpillars
An unexpected insect trend in the spring of 2015 was the surprising abundance of a number of caterpillar species feeding on plants in the landscape.  Caterpillar species, such as the humped green fruitworm, speckled green fruitworm, eastern tent caterpillar, forest tent caterpillar, gypsy moth caterpillar, and the euonymous caterpillar are typically present to some extent, although their numbers have been low the past few years.  For a number of potential reasons, these species had a great spring and during a period in May and June, caterpillars made up roughly 30% of the cases coming in to the diagnostic lab.  Weather patterns (i.e., rainy weather) and natural predators/parasites/diseases can have significant impacts on caterpillar populations each year, so it’ll be interesting to see if we’re faced with a plethora of caterpillars again in 2016.  Additional details of this story were featured in a blog post last June.

3) Viburnum Leaf Beetle
In terms of a new emerging pest with the potential to impact a commonly planted landscape shrub, Viburnum Leaf Beetle is near the top of the list.  As of late 2014, we only knew of a single infested viburnum bush in northern Milwaukee County, which raised the question: is the infestation small enough to contain and/or eradicate?  Some ground truthing this past spring identified many new infestations in SE Wisconsin, in many cases miles from the original site.  At the moment, the viburnum leaf beetle seems to be centered around the four county area where Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington, and Ozaukee counties meet.  While this insect only feeds on viburnums (and related plants like Arrowwood), the damage can be significant.  It may be some time before this pest spreads elsewhere in the state, but if you have viburnum plants in your yard in SE Wisconsin, be weary!  Additional details of this case were featured in a post last June.

VLB Damage
“Skeletonizing” feeding damage from adult viburnum leaf beetles. Photo courtesy of Paul Weston, Cornell University, Bugwood.org

2) Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Populations of the invasive Brown Marmorated Stink Bug increased dramatically in 2015 and this insect takes the overall #2 spot in this list (up from #8 last year).  This invasive species was first spotted in the state in 2010, and each year a handful of lone adults have been found in Wisconsin.  In the fall of 2015, we had more sightings of BMSB (30+), than in the past 5 years combined! (Spoiler: this trend has continued into early 2016)  At this point, the “hot spots” in the state are: Dane County, the greater Milwaukee area, and the Fox River Valley.  In addition to being an indoor nuisance pest, BMSB can also feed on and damage a wide variety of plants in home gardens, agricultural fields and orchards.  In other places in the country, the first reports of plant damage have typically been noted ~3-5 years after the initial detection of this species.  With that said, 2016 could be the year that BMSB really takes off and starts wreaking havoc for gardeners and agricultural growers alike.  Additional details of this case can be found in this post from last October.

1) Magnolia Scale
While scale insects have already been mentioned in the “sucking insects” section (#9 on the list), one species in particular, the Magnolia scale (Neolecanium cornuparvum), seemed to stand out amongst all other insects in 2015.  This species is often present in low numbers in the state, but the conditions must have been perfect for their populations to explode last year.  During the months of June and July, reports of Magnolia scale were coming in on almost a daily basis.  Being one of the unusual scale insects, Magnolia scale adults look more like a fungus than an insect (note the whitish blobs in the image below).  Not only did this bizarre looking species pummel Magnolia shrubs and trees in many parts of the state, but the honeydew produced by these insects rained down below, attracting ants and yellowjackets and leading to the growth of unsightly black sooty mold.  A number of predators, parasites, and diseases typically keep Magnolia scale in check, but with the extremely high infestations noted last year, it’s likely that we’ll continue to see some Magnolia scale activity into 2016.  If you experienced magnolia scales first hand, there’s a helpful factsheet available here.

Magnolia twig coated with whitish, fuzzy magnolia scale adults.
Beetles, Biting Insects, Bugs, Invasive Species, Moths, Ornamental Pest, Tree Insects, Wasps and Bees

Wisconsin’s Top Insect Trends of 2015 (#10 – #6)

What were Wisconsin’s top insect trends of 2015?  In this post, we’ll look at the first half of our count-down.  

This is the second post in a three part series.  The first post of the series (2015’s diagnostic lab statistics) can be found here.

10) Mosquitoes and ticks:
Like most years, Wisconsin had a pretty good mosquito season.  Overall, we were close to the average rainfall mark during much of the year, which meant the typical batch of mosquitoes starting after Memorial Day.  In many parts of the state, mosquitoes were prevalent throughout June, July, and August.  However, this is Wisconsin after all, and mosquitoes seem to be one pillar of summer culture along with beer, cookouts, and fishing.  The silver lining of the mosquito story is the fact that West Nile Cases were low for the year, with only four confirmed human cases reported in the state in 2015.

Deer Tick
Adult female deer tick. These ticks can now be found throughout the state and roughly 40% of adults are carrying the microorganism responsible for Lyme Disease. Photo credit: Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org

While there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary with the mosquitoes last year, ticks seemed to have a particularly good year in the state.  Deer ticks, which can vector Lyme disease can be found essentially statewide.  From the standpoint of an emerging health threat, deer tick populations have exploded in the past few decades (our first deer tick wasn’t found in the state until the 1960’s).  A recent nation-wide study found that deer ticks were found in nearly half of the counties in the U.S.  One of the more alarming trends is urban encroachment.  Historically, ticks seemed to be the type of creature you’d pick up if you were out hunting or hiking through the woods.  In the recent past, we’ve noticed an increase of ticks found in more urban environments, such as parks and backyards.  With roughly 40% of the adult ticks in Wisconsin carrying the microorganism responsible for Lyme Disease, this is an issue that will continue to exist in the state for years to come.

9) “Sucking Insects”
A certain group of insects (the Order Hemiptera) are sometimes known as the “sucking insects” because they possess tube-like mouthparts which are used by many species use to drink fluids from plants.  Two of the members of this group, the aphids and the scale insects had a great year in 2015.  When these insects feed on plants, a common sign is the presence of sticky, sugary honeydew, which attracts ants and yellowjackets, and can result in the growth of black sooty mold.  Aphids and scale insects are common and typically present in low numbers, but the conditions must have been just right for their populations to thrive in 2015.  As a result, there were many reports throughout the state of honeydew “raining” down from trees and shrubs onto vehicles, decks, outdoor furniture, and people below.  If you felt “rain” on a sunny day last summer, the actual cause may have been honeydew dripping down from aphids or scales in the trees above!

Lecanium Scale
Lecanium scales producing sticky honeydew (clear droplets).  Photo credit: Ronald S. Kelley, Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, Bugwood.org

 

8) Long Lost Pests: Japanese Beetle and Gypsy Moth
Two of our best-known landscape pests, the Japanese Beetle and the Gypsy Moth had been very quiet in 2014, but resurfaced last year.  Japanese beetles had been low across the state in 2014, likely due to the brutal winter of 2013-14 killing many of the soil-dwelling grubs.  While we did see an increase in beetle activity in 2015 compared to 2014, their numbers still seemed low compared to the long term average.  However, with a milder el Niño winter, it’s possible that we could see increased winter survival and higher Japanese beetle populations in 2016.

Japanese Beetle
The infamous Japanese Beetle. Photo credit: David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org

Gypsy Moth populations have been low the past few years in Wisconsin.  Damp spring conditions can result in a fungal disease killing many of the caterpillars, which likely helped lessen populations in the recent past.  It’s also not unusual for some long-term cyclic patterns to be involved with insect populations.  For a number of potential reasons, Gypsy Moth populations seemed to rebound a bit in 2015, and many reports of sightings and damage came in to the diagnostic lab, particularly from the south central portion of the state (Dane, Rock, Walworth Counties).  Because Gypsy Moth can be a destructive defoliator of hardwood trees, it’ll be good to keep an eye out for this one in 2016 to see if the populations continue to climb.

7) Emerald Ash Borer
This is our most destructive forest pest in the state, and unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be anything capable of completely stopping this pest.  While we didn’t see many additional counties added to the quarantine map in 2015, there were many municipalities that detected EAB for the first time.  At the moment, 39 of the 72 Wisconsin counties are quarantined for EAB and this number will continue to increase over time.  Like Dutch Elm Disease in the past, Emerald Ash Borer is changing and will continue to change the appearance of our urban forests and woodlands for years to come.

Adult emerald ash borer. Photo Credit: Howard Russell, Michigan State University

6) Spotted Wing Drosophila
This invasive pest first showed up in the state in 2010, and became a significant fruit pest almost immediately.  Since its introduction, SWD has spread widely and can be found in most counties in Wisconsin.  Very similar to 2014, SWD was detected in dozens of counties across the state.  SWD can attack a wide variety of fruit, but due to the fact that this insect doesn’t seem to become active until July, the late-season raspberry and blackberry crops are hit the hardest.  Luckily Wisconsin’s famous cranberry crop does not seem to be favored by this invasive pest.

Up Next, Part III:  Wisconsin’s Top Insect Trends of 2015 (Numbers 5-1) 

Bugs, Invasive Species, Ornamental Pest, Outdoor Insect Invaders

Why Such a Stink About a Bug?

Every fall, residents throughout Wisconsin and many other parts of the country face an invasion by a number of insects: boxelder bugs, multicolored Asian lady beetles, western conifer seed bugs and cluster flies, to name a few.  With the coming frosts, these insects are simply trying to find a sheltered location to settle for the winter.  Out in nature, many of these insects would simply crawl into a rock pile or beneath the loose bark of a dead tree to overwinter.

MALB Overwintering_opt
Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles often spend the winter in sheltered spots, such as beneath the bark of dead trees. However, they can just as easily sneak into buildings. Photo Credit: PJ Liesch, UW-Entomology

But why rough it out in nature if there are perfectly good buildings to sneak in to?  Next time you’re cleaning the gutters, take a moment to peek around the outside of your house.  Small gaps in siding, soffit areas, around door and window frames, and cracks in the foundation are all potential spots for insects to sneak through.  And if they make it through?  Well, you could be in for some extended visitors. . .

In addition to the usual fall invaders, a relative newcomer starting to pop up in Wisconsin and other parts of the Midwest is the invasive Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys).  Like the boxelder bugs and multicolored Asian lady beetles, brown marmorated stink bugs (BMSB) like to find their way indoors for the winter.  This Asian species was first detected in Wisconsin back in 2010 and for reasons we don’t fully understand, their numbers have been quite low the past few years.  As of late 2014, BMSB has been confirmed or suspected in 10 Wisconsin counties, with most of the reports coming out of the Madison and Milwaukee area.  A handful of sightings each year has been the pattern.

Unfortunately, we may be at the beginning of a shift in BMSB populations in the state.  In early 2015, there were at least 6 specimens found in Wisconsin by early March.  Despite the quiet summer, the sightings have started popping up again in late September and October of this year.  What’s more concerning is that we’re starting to see groups of these insects clustered together (previous sightings had consisted almost exclusively of lone individuals).

Not only are these unwanted houseguests a nuisance, but quite frankly, they smell bad.  True to their title of “stink bug”, brown marmorated stink bugs possess glands that can emit a pungent odor.  Some consider the odor to be coriander-like, while others  say it resembles musty gym socks.  Invasive species [check].  Nuisance invader [check].  Smells bad [check].  That’s all, right?  Unfortunately, not quite.  Just like a bad late-night infomercial: Wait! There’s more!

Bad Bug Checklist-Upload

It turns out that brown marmorated stink bug has the potential to be quite a nasty plant pest and rivals the Japanese beetle in the breadth of its palate.  Brown marmorated stink bug seems to feed on just about anything under the sun: field crops like corn and soybeans, vegetables like tomatoes and peppers, and even ornamental trees and shrubs. Fruits like apples and grapes can be hit especially hard.  In some cases, the mere presence of BMSB can be a problem: imagine being a vintner and having your batch of wine tainted by the presence of a few squished stink bugs!  In the eastern U.S. there are regular reports of agricultural problems and growers have to spray to control these insects.  We haven’t had any reports of plant damage in Wisconsin yet, but that could change over time if BMSB populations continue to climb.

So what can you do about brown marmorated stink bugs?  For starters, learning to tell them apart from our native stink bugs is relatively easy.  Look for the alternating “checkerboard” pattern along the back edge of these half-inch long insects and the two light bands on the otherwise brown antennae.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug ID
Identifying features of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug; click for larger version. Photo Credit: PJ Liesch, UW-Entomology

With relatively few sightings in Wisconsin at this point, we’re still trying to get a feel for where this insect is.  If you suspect that there may be brown marmorated stink bugs around your house, take a picture of the insect and email it to me at (pliesch@wisc.edu) for identification.  Another option is to collect a physical sample and mail them in to the Insect Diagnostic Lab for identification (instructions on how to submit samples can be found here).

If brown marmorated stink bugs or other fall invading insects are trying to get into your house, one of the best things to do is to inspect the outside of your home and physically seal up cracks and crevices where they’re trying to sneak in.  Once fall invaders are indoors, hauling out the hose attachment on the vacuum cleaner is often one of the best steps to remove them.

 

Beetles, Ornamental Pest, Outdoor Insect Invaders

Wisconsin’s Top 10 Insect Stories of 2014 (Part II)

Below you’ll find the second part of a three part series describing the Top 10 insect-related stories of 2014 from Wisconsin. Part three will be released next week.

7) Missing Pests: As every landscaper and farmer knows, there’s a certain batch of insect pests that tend to pop up consistently each year. One of the biggest stories of 2014 was the scarcity of some of these “regulars” like the gypsy moth and the Japanese beetle. The reason behind this? We likely have Mother Nature to thank. Gypsy moth populations fare poorly during periods of wet weather due to the proliferation of a fungal disease that kills the caterpillars. We certainly had abundant and consistent rainfall in 2014, and several images of diseased insects made their way into the lab. In addition, gypsy moth numbers have been in a general decline for several years in the state, which is good news for oak trees.

If there’s one good thing that came out of the brutally cold winter of 2013-14, there’s the fact that it may have helped knock down the Japanese beetle populations. Japanese beetles overwinter as white grubs in the soil and tend to move just deep enough to avoid the frost line. With the pipe-bursting cold and deep frosts of last winter, it seems that the deep freeze knocked their numbers down. As a result, reports of damage from Japanese beetles were scarce this past summer. While it’s too early to tell, it’s possible that it may only be a one-year reprieve. Turfgrass researchers have reported decent grub numbers in turfgrass areas this fall, which could mean that Japanese beetle numbers could creep back up in the future.

A female Japanese beetle digging into the turf to lay her eggs. Photo Credit: PJ Liesch.
A female Japanese beetle digging into the turf to lay her eggs.
Photo Credit: PJ Liesch.

Agricultural pests were also down in 2014, with no major pest outbreaks. Two of our best known corn pests, the European corn borer and corn rootworms, had very slow years. Even migratory crop pests, such as the potato leafhopper and black cutworm, which overwinter in the gulf coasts states and migrate northward in the spring failed to take off in 2014.  (A full summary of agricultural pests can be found here.)

6) Interesting “Structural Pest” Trends: Two of our insects that commonly invade homes in the fall (boxelder bugs and multi-colored Asian lady beetles) had drastically different trends this year. Box elder bugs thrive under dry conditions, like we had in the latter parts of 2012 and 2013. Similar to the gypsy moth mentioned above, the damp conditions in 2014 likely helped keep the box elder bug number in check and prevented the widespread numbers that we’ve seen the past few years.   While the numbers of box elder bugs were low this fall, the multicolored Asian lady beetle, which had been low for the past few years, started popping up in decent numbers in certain parts of the state. One warm October day, I wandered out to the front of the entomology department building on campus to view thousands of the lady beetles flying around looking for overwintering spots.

5) Invasion of the Copper Underwing: Most folks have never heard of a moth called the copper underwing. Rightly so, as it tends to be a fairly obscure species. The caterpillars are commonly called the green humped fruitworms and can feed on fruit trees and other trees. When adults rest on trees, their grayish appearance isn’t much to write home about. However, when they display their hind wings, you’d notice the brilliant copper color and understand the common name of the insect.

Copper Underwing
Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidoides); Photo credit PJ Liesch

For whatever reason, 2014 seemed to be perfect for this species. Perhaps I should have suspected that the few adults I spotted at my porch lights in late spring were the beginning of a trend. As the summer went on, I started getting reports of large numbers of these moths congregating on the sides of homes, sneaking under siding, and even leaving excrement stains on siding. All in all, I had reports of “home invasions” from over a dozen counties, mostly in the southwestern part of the state. Because this species tends to be present in low numbers, I suspect that we won’t see them amassing by the thousands again anytime soon.

Part 3: Coming soon

Beetles, Biting Insects, Bugs, Ornamental Pest

Wisconsin’s Top 10 Insect Stories of 2014 (Part I)

The year-end stats are in: a grand total of 2,092 insects, mites, spiders and other curiosities were submitted to the Insect Diagnostic Lab in 2014. With the ubiquity of smart phones and internet access, nearly 60% of the cases handled in the lab this year consisted either solely of digital images or as digital images accompanying a physical specimen. While the vast majority of cases came from within Wisconsin, there were occasional images and questions sent in from other states and even other countries (including Mexico, England, Ireland, South Africa, India, Guatemala, the Philippines, Spain, Portugal, Afghanistan, and Jamaica).

When it comes to the insects in Wisconsin this past year, several stories pop out. First of all, several of our “usual” pests were noticeably down this year: gypsy moth, Japanese beetle, and box elder bugs, to name a few. In contrast, the emerald ash borer had quite a year and was detected in many new locations, leading to over a dozen counties being added to the quarantined zone in the state. Then there were some cases that seemed to appear overnight: the spring mosquitoes and the massive mayfly hatch in late July.

Below you’ll find the first part of a three part series describing the Top 10 insect-related stories of 2014 from Wisconsin. Parts two and three will be released over the next two weeks.

10) Mosquitoes: Our unofficial “state bird” made news headlines across the state starting Memorial Day weekend. In some spots, the mosquitoes were so bad, that outfitters of recreational canoeing trips were turning customers away, lest they fall victim to the winged vampires.

What caused the mosquito problems in 2014? It boils down to some ideal conditions, as far as the mosquitoes are concerned. With over 50 species of mosquitoes in the state, each species has its own unique habits. Some rely on the moisture from melting snow to develop. Others wait for rain to flood depressions in the woods, where female mosquitoes had laid their eggs. Some other species rely on more permanent bodies of water, such as drainage ditches and rain-filled containers. With the late snowmelt and the heavy rains this spring and summer, our mosquitoes had plenty of moisture to use.

If there’s a silver lining of the 2014 mosquito season, it’s that the number of West Nile cases were down in the state. It turns out that our heavy rains created temporary pools out in the woods, which are favored by our “floodwater” mosquitoes. For the most part, these species are a nuisance, but don’t carry diseases like West Nile. The mosquitoes that spread West Nile tend to prefer more permanent bodies of water.  When you have lots of rain, it can sometimes cause these more permanent bodies of water to overflow, flushing the mosquitoes away. It may be counterintuitive, but our worst West Nile year of the past decade was actually the droughty year of 2012.

9) Invasive Leaf Beetles: Two different species of invasive leaf beetles (Family Chrysomelidae) were detected in Wisconsin this past year: the lily leaf beetle and the viburnum leaf beetle. Both of these beetles have unusually similar histories: they’re both known from Europe but were found in Canada in the mid-1940’s. Both made their way into New England in the 1990’s and have been popping up in other locations since then.

The lily leaf beetle was detected for the first time in Wisconsin in July in the Wausau area. This species feeds on true lilies in the landscape and has been found at a handful of sites in Marathon and Wood counties. The viburnum leaf beetle had technically been found once before in the state a few years ago in Dane county. At the time it had been found on a recently planted viburnum bush, which was removed and the insects were eradicated. Technically, the case that popped up in the Milwaukee area in late summer on an established viburnum bush is our second record in the state. Unfortunately, the original source of the insects and extent of the current infestation are not fully understood at this point.

Lily Leaf Beetle (Lilioceris lilii)
Lily Leaf Beetle (Lilioceris lilii); Photo Credit PJ Liesch

While these two beetles have only been found in a few isolated spots in the state, they have the potential to cause significant damage to their host plants, so gardeners should keep a watchful eye out for them in 2015!

8) Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB): This invasive pest was first discovered in the state in 2010. When I describe BMSB during presentations, I joke that it’s as if a mad scientist in a bad Sci-Fi movie had somehow crossed a Japanese beetle with a box elder bug.  Like Japanese beetles, BMSB will feed on hundreds of different types of plants: field crops, vegetables, fruits, and ornamental plants can all be damaged. In addition, BMSB has the habit of sneaking indoors in the fall like box elder bugs. In other parts of the US (such as Pennsylvania and Virginia), BMSM has been wreaking havoc on agricultural producers and homeowners alike. Luckily, this stink bug has been quiet the past few years in Wisconsin and we saw more of the same for 2014. While I only had half a dozen samples documented in the state this year, this is certainly a pest that everyone should be keeping an eye out for in the future.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys); Photo Credit PJ Liesch
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys); Photo Credit PJ Liesch

Part 2: Coming soon