Introduction
If you have a landscape with a tree in it, your yard is part of an urban forest. There are also natural forests of native trees throughout Nevada. Invasive insects coming in from other countries now threaten both our urban and natural forests. Some states have already lost significant numbers of native and landscape trees due to these insect invaders. Anyone with a tree in their yard needs to be aware of these potentially devastating insects in order to protect not only the trees in their yard, but also the trees in our forests.
Why should we worry about exotic invasive insects? Trees are the backbone of a landscape. They are a valuable investment in a home landscape, park or as community trees. They provide shade, cooling, beauty, erosion control and wildlife habitat. They clean the air. They uplift our spirits and give a community an identity. They may have historic value as well (USDA Forest Service, 1993). When trees are lost, it reduces property values and curb appeal, eliminates shade, creates heat islands, causes hazards when dying limbs and dead trees break or fall and it destroys the beauty of our landscapes. Dead and dying trees can be significant wildfire hazards. Replacing trees, particularly mature trees, can be expensive and, in Nevada, trees take a long time to grow.
Purpose
The USDA Forest Service, Nevada Division of Forestry, Nevada Department of Agriculture and University of Nevada Cooperative Extension are working together to raise awareness of a number of destructive exotic insects that could destroy our urban and native trees if these insects become established in Nevada.So far, few, if any, are present in Nevada, so we want to keep them out or spot them early when they arrive. Finding these pests early and treating them immediately is critical to eradicating these invaders before they kill our trees. We want you to join our Citizens’ Monitoring Program in which we are encouraging the public to be on the lookout for the exotic invasive insects listed in this publication.
The Insects of Greatest Concern Include:
- Asian long-horned beetle(Anoplophora glabripennis)
- Emerald ash borer (Agrilusplanipennis)
- Goldspotted oak borer(Agrilus coxalis)
- Honeylocust borer (Agrilusdifficilis)
- Oak splendour beetle(Agrilusbiguttatus)
- Redhaired pine bark beetle(Hylurgus ligniperda)
- Red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus)
- Sirex wood wasp (Sirexnoctilio)
- White satin moth (Leucomasalicis)
For the complete article on what you can do, where you will find them, symptoms of their attaches use the link below.
