Diario del proyecto Alaska Forest Health Observations

Green Alder Sawfly - Bug of the Week from UAF Cooperative Extension Service's IPM Program.

Bug of the Week
This week’s bug of the week is the Green Alder Sawfly, Monsoma pulveratum. The species, like its name suggests, likes to feed on alder. Here in Southcentral Thin-leafed alder seems to be the alder of choice. In the spring one to five eggs are laid by females on newly emerging leaves usually in mid to late May. The larvae hatch in a couple weeks, they are bright green and after feeding all summer will grow to about 2 cm. They hang out on the lower leaf surface and blend in very well, often overlooked. Towards the end of summer the larvae will drop to the ground and excavate a cavity to ride out the winter in the relative warmth of the soil. In the spring they pupate and the adult females emerge and look for new alders. In North America the species is parthenogenic, so no males. The adults resemble small black wasps, and are often overlooked unless you are a sawfly person.

I mention this species now as next week is the North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA) Invasive Species Awareness Week. All states have invasives, and managing and IDing them is hard. Green Alder Sawfly is a recent invasive species for us, first showing up in Alaska in 2004 where it was first found in agriculture samples from Palmer. It really made its mark in 2007 at the Palmer Hay Flats after some severe defoliation was noted. The species is commonly found in Europe, and the Alaska find was the first time it was found in the US, and only the second time it was found in North America. Currently it has spread down the BC coast and into Washington and Oregon. Being European and unfamiliar it takes time to ID, and the first published reports of the species were not until 2010. We warn about invasives all the time but we have to remember that invasives are not invasives where they are usually found. We are the vectors, bringing new plants and animals into areas where they can prosper. It's a good idea to try to curb moving bugs, plants and seeds around, and keep an eye out for the unfamiliar. It may be the next new invasive bug.

You can submit unknown pests (plants, insects, diseases, etc.) through the UAF Citizen Scientists Monitoring Portal: www.alaskapestreporter.org

With the holidays approaching many cut trees and wreaths are being shipped up to Alaska. Sometimes small insect visitors tag along with the tree and "wake up" once exposed to warm indoor temperatures. We like to keep an eye on some of these potential pathways for unintended insect introductions to help prevent introductions of potential threats to our forests. If you find live insects in a purchased cut tree or wreath you can send a photo and notes about your observation to UAF Cooperative Extension Service at alaskapestreporter.org

Happy holidays!

A friendly reminder to please include host plant information with your observations! Some fungi and insect larvae only live and grow on certain species of plants, so knowing which plant the organism is living on can help us identify it. An easy way to add host plant information to your post is to name the plant species in the notes section of your observation. If you don't know the species of plant that's ok, but adding the general group of plants can be helpful too! For example, if you know it's a spruce, but aren't sure which one, feel free to just put 'spruce'. If the tree bark is degraded and you're not sure if it's birch or aspen, but you know it's not a conifer species, you can designate the host as 'hardwood'. Notes about the tree species is very helpful for us, so we appreciate you including it!

A more advanced way to add host information is to scroll down to the field on the lower right hand side of your observation labeled "Observation fields" (this field is located below "Annotations" and "Projects"). In the box, type and click on "Host Plant ID" and type in the species of plant!

Thank you for contributing to our project!

Each year the USDA Forest Service publishes a report on the status of insects, diseases, and invasive plants affecting our forests based on surveys and other work conducted with partner organizations. The 2021 Forest Health Conditions Report can now be viewed or downloaded from this link: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1068027.pdf

A full catalog of these reports, both past and present, can be viewed here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/r10/forest-grasslandhealth/?cid=fsbdev2_038884&width=full

Interested in learning more about ongoing spruce beetle research in Alaska? Dr. Jackson Audley, researcher with the U.S. Forest Service, will be joining us at 5pm on September 28th, 2022 to present his recent research into semiochemical repellants for spruce beetle in Alaska. Semiochemicals are chemical signals produced by animals or plants that affect the behavior of other organisms. Jackson and his colleagues with the U.S. Forest Service and Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection have been working to identify whether some of these compounds, such as those produced by non-host trees or by other species of bark beetles, may chemically camouflage spruce trees in a way that prevents the tree from being attacked and killed by spruce beetles. Join us to hear more about how Jackson evaluates spruce beetle response to semiochemicals in both Alaska and the Rocky Mountains.

This webinar is hosted by the UAF Cooperative Extension Service in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service. Registration is free and open to the public. The webinar will be held virtually over Zoom, follow the link below to register for this virtual event: https://www.alaskasprucebeetle.org/upcoming-events/

The US Forest Service will be filling several permanent seasonal positions in the Alaska Region through an Open Continuous Recruitment effort, including positions that support Forest Health Protection. These positions perform a variety of field, office, and laboratory tasks that support the mission of the Forest Service. Please share this information with anyone who may be interested!

Forest Health will be evaluating potential candidates from the two listings below. Please note the closing date of September 30, 2022. Other positions within the agency will be hired using the same vacancy announcements. Additional vacancy announcements for similar positions can be found at www.USAjobs.gov

1: Open to anyone who has lived or worked in or near the geographic boundaries of Southcentral or Southeast Alaska and has special knowledge or expertise concerning the cultural and/or resources of at least one of these areas: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/653199000

2: Open to the public: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/653197700

A webinar recording is available with more information and details about navigating the Forest Service hiring process and can be viewed here: https://vimeo.com/showcase/9309003/video/707052737

Registration is open for the Alaska Invasive Species Workshop, held November 1-3 this year. There are both in-person and virtual registration options, with the in-person event being held in Anchorage this year. The workshop is a forum for discussing invasive species management activities within the state, offers expert presentations about emerging invasive species science and management issues, highlights outreach efforts, and offers training for new and experienced invasive species managers alike. The workshop typically draws 100 to 150 participants. For more information and to register visit the webpage at: https://alaskainvasives.org/?page_id=134

Fall 2022 Alaska Biodiversity Bioblitz starts next week! All observations recorded between September 15-18 2022 will count toward the project, join the project here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/fall-2022-alaska-biodiversity-challenge

Any of your observations made for the bioblitz that are also relevant to the Alaska Forest Health Observations project will be included in both!

Remember that it can be very helpful to include the host plant information when uploading insects or pathogens of trees and shrubs. Some fungi and insect larvae only live and grow on certain species of plants, so knowing which plant the organism is living on can help us identify it. An easy way to add host plant information to your post is to name the plant species in the notes section of your observation. If you don't know the species of plant that's ok, but adding the general group of plants can be helpful too! For example, if you know it's a spruce, but aren't sure which one, feel free to just put 'spruce'. If the tree bark is degraded and you're not sure if it's birch or aspen, but you know it's not a conifer species, you can designate the host as 'hardwood'. Notes about the tree species is very helpful for us, so we appreciate you including it! A more advanced way to add host information is to scroll down to the field on the lower right hand side of your observation labeled "Observation fields" (this field is located below "Annotations" and "Projects"). In the box, type and click on "Host Plant ID" and type in the species of plant!

Thank you for contributing your observations to iNaturalist!

Interested in learning more about ongoing spruce beetle research in Alaska? Dr. Jackson Audley, researcher with the U.S. Forest Service, will be joining us at 5pm on September 28th, 2022 to present his recent research into semiochemical repellants for spruce beetle in Alaska. Semiochemicals are chemical signals produced by animals or plants that affect the behavior of other organisms. Jackson and his colleagues with the U.S. Forest Service and Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection have been working to identify whether some of these compounds, such as those produced by non-host trees or by other species of bark beetles, may chemically camouflage spruce trees in a way that prevents the tree from being attacked and killed by spruce beetles. Join us to hear more about how Jackson evaluates spruce beetle response to semiochemicals in both Alaska and the Rocky Mountains.

This webinar is hosted by the UAF Cooperative Extension Service in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service. Registration is free and open to the public. The webinar will be held virtually over Zoom, follow the link below to register for this virtual event: https://www.alaskasprucebeetle.org/upcoming-events/

USFS press release regarding the current blackheaded budworm outbreak in Southeast Alaska: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r10/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD1057047

JUNEAU, Alaska – Aug. 29, 2022 - Residents and visitors may notice a lot of small brownish-gray moths fluttering around. Western blackheaded budworms are transforming from voracious caterpillars into moths and are emerging throughout the area. These caterpillars, which were abundant in July and August, are responsible for causing the needles on hemlock and spruce trees to turn reddish-brown.

Not to worry - while heavy concentrations of feeding activity from western blackheaded budworm caterpillars can lead to the loss of trees, most will recover. The forest may look different following an event of this size, but these defoliator outbreaks have happened before, and the forests will benefit in the long-term through sunlight breaks in the canopy and fertilization from droppings and half-eaten needles. Additionally, the caterpillars are a food source for hungry birds and fish.

The current outbreak began in 2020 in the central Tongass area and then expanded across southeast Alaska, reaching as far north as Haines and as far south as Ketchikan in 2022. Western blackheaded budworm outbreaks typically last 2-3 years before ending naturally.

Forest visitors can upload photos, video, or information related to sightings of the insect or its damage to iNaturalist.com, which will automatically be included in the Alaska Forest Health Observations Project, a citizen science project in iNaturalist. More information on the project can be found here.

The last time a major western blackheaded budworm outbreak in the southeast took place was from 1992 to 1995.

For more information visit the Forest Health website. Alaska’s National Forests – where nature, people, and tradition come together.