Pest Alert: Spotted Lanternfly is an Invasive Insect That May Impact Oregon

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Pest Alert: Spotted Lanternfly is an Invasive Insect That May Impact Oregon

Spotted Lanternfly has a broad range of plant hosts, including grape, stone fruits, apple, ornamental species, maple, black walnut, willow and rose. Nymphs and adults are phloem feeders. They suck sap from young stems and leaves, which can cause wilting and plant stress. High numbers of Spotted Lanternfly can reduce photosynthesis, weaken the plant and eventually contribute to the host plant’s death.

S. Mermer, G. Tait, J. Vlach, J. Lee, M.-Y. Choi, H. Leach, L. Brewer and V. Walton (Published March 2021)

A geometrical approach explains Lake Ball (Marimo) formations in the green alga, Aegagropila linnaei

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An extremely rare alga, Aegagropila linnaei, is known for its beautiful spherical filamentous aggregations called Lake Ball (Marimo). It has long been a mystery in biology as to why this species forms 3D ball-like aggregations. This alga also forms two-dimensional mat-like aggregations. Here we show that forming ball-like aggregations is an adaptive strategy to increase biomass in the extremely limited environments suitable for growth of this alga. We estimate the maximum biomass attained by ball colonies and compare it to that attained by mat colonies. As a result, a ball colony can become larger in areal biomass than the mat colony. In the two large ball colonies studied so far, they actually have larger biomasses than the mat colonies. The uniqueness of Lake Balls in nature seems to be due to the rarity of such environmental conditions. This implies that the conservation of this alga is difficult, but important.

https://www.nature.com/articles/srep03761

*In March 2021, zebra mussels were found attached and inside Marimo algae balls sold in pet stores. Learn more on this OISC Pest Alert

Plant ID: Ventenata dubia vs. Deschampsia danthonioides

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Deschampsia danthoniodes (native) and Ventenata dubia (invasive) grow in similar habitats, often right alongside each other and it can be very easy to confuse the two. Linked below is a one-page identification guide and a PowerPoint compilation of identification resources (Guide and Digital art by Bethany Reed, Malheur National Forest).

One-page Identification Guide

Identification Resources PowerPoint

Assessing the ecological niche and invasion potential of the Asian giant hornet

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Brief Report - Abstract

The Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) was recently detected in western British Columbia, Canada and Washington State, United States. V. mandarinia are an invasion concern due to their ability to kill honey bees and affect humans. Here, we used habitat suitability models and dispersal simulations to assess potential invasive spread of V. mandarinia. We show V. mandarinia are most likely to establish in areas with warm to cool annual mean temperature, high precipitation, and high human activity. The realized niche of introduced populations is small compared to native populations, suggesting introduced populations could spread into habitats across a broader range of environmental conditions. Dispersal simulations also show that V. mandarinia could rapidly spread throughout western North America without containment. Given its potential negative impacts and capacity for spread, extensive monitoring and eradication efforts throughout western North America are warranted.

Link to full report: https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/09/21/2011441117?fbclid=IwAR284F3_4ifji7faMqm8w9d81e4iBeYY4KANH6CXIF0h233dY-LZsbfDL6o

(ISRP 2020-08) Final Report: Category Review of Resident Fish and Sturgeon Projects - Independent Scientific Review Panel

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Link to Full Report published August 6, 2020: https://www.nwcouncil.org/sites/default/files/ISRP%202020-08%20FinalResFishSturg6Aug.pdf

Excerpt from Introduction:

This report provides the Independent Scientific Review Panel’s (ISRP1 ) recommendations and comments on 44 proposals submitted for the Resident Fish and Sturgeon Category Review to implement the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program. The ISRP finds that 30 proposals meet scientific review criteria and 10 proposals meet scientific criteria with some conditions requiring further action…

This report provides final recommendations on each project and includes our preliminary report comments and response requests. The report also provides a discussion of programmatic issues that apply across projects to inform Program development and performance. Programmatic topics include native and non-native fish management, lake and river fertilization, habitat protection versus restoration, climate change, adaptive management, multicultural perspectives, integration of projects within geographic areas, and improving communication. The ISRP strives to ensure that its multi-year recommendations for the projects and the Program have a sound, well-documented scientific foundation.