Entomological Society of America discontinues use of problematic common names for two insect species

The Entomological Society of America (ESA) has removed “Gypsy Moth” and “Gypsy Ant” as common names for these two insect species because they contain a derogatory term for the Romani people. This decision is a result of a new ESA program, Better Common Names Project, that is reviewing and replacing common names that are inappropriate and/or problematic.

The moth, Lymantria dispar, is a problematic insect for North American forests as the caterpillars feed on 300 different species of shrubs and trees.

Read the original article, published 7/7/2021, here: www.entsoc.org/entomological-society-america-discontinues-use-gypsy-moth-ant-names

Pest Alert: Asian Giant Hornet

What is the Asian giant hornet?
The Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) is the world’s largest hornet and is native to Asia. The Asian giant hornet is a quarantine pest for the United States and is a serious pest of honeybees and other insects. A quarantine pest is a pest of potential economic importance, possibly present in the area of concern but not widely distributed, and officially regulated by the USDA APHIS. Learn more about quarantine pests by visiting the The Food and Agriculture Organization website.

ASIAN GIANT HORNET FOUND IN WASHINGTON STATE. FROM WA STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HORNET PEST ALERT AGR PUB 809-816

Where has it been found?
In 2019, these hornets were found in British Columbia, Canada and Blaine, Washington. As of June 1, 2020, it has not been found in Oregon. However, if the Asian giant hornet does make its way into Oregon, it will threaten Oregon’s honeybees and poses a risk to humans. According to the Oregon Department of Agriculture, the Asian giant hornet is expected to attack the same things in this region that they attack in their native range: medium to large sized insects (large beetles, katydids, mantids, caterpillars).

MAP SHOWING REPORTS (AS OF JUNE 8, 2020) OF ASIAN GIANT HORNET FROM THE WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE’S HORNET WATCH REPORT FORM. VIEW THE CURRENT 2023 MAP HERE

Are they dangerous?
Yes! Use extreme caution near Asian giant hornets. While they do not generally attack people or pets, they can attack when threatened. Not only can the Asian giant hornet sting multiple times, their stinger is longer than that of a honeybee and the venom is more toxic than any local bee or wasp. Typical beekeeping protective clothing is not sufficient to protect you from stings.

Asian giant hornet Identification Tips:

• Large wasps about 1.25 to nearly 2 inches long

• Large, yellow-orange head with prominent eyes

• Black and yellow striped abdomen

• Forms large colonies that usually nest in the ground

• Significant numbers of killed honeybees in or around a hive - they are typically snipped into pieces

IMAGE FROM WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BUGWOOD.ORG, AND USDA APHIS PPQ.

Does it look like other insects? 
Some local insects have been confused with Asian giant hornets, including those listed below which are NOT Asian giant hornets. Remember, unlike the local insects below, Asian giant hornets are LARGE wasps 1.25 to nearly 2 inches long. Click here to view the Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarina) and Oregon Look-a-likes poster, which was created by Oregon Department of Agriculture.

• Paper wasp

• Bald faced hornet

• Yellow jacket

• Elm sawfly

The Washington State Department of Agriculture recently started a social media campaign called #ThatIsNotAnAsianGiantHornet which consists of putting a picture of an Asian giant hornet next to a picture of an insect that has been reported (but is not Asian giant hornet).

Credit: Dave Wilkes

Credit: Joel Nielsen

Credit: USDA APHIS

What should you do if you think you’ve seen an Asian giant hornet?
Do not kill what you think might be an Asian giant hornet and do not approach a suspected colony! Not only is it potentially dangerous, misidentification by well-intentioned members of the public can result in the killing of native bees and other insects. Instead, the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) is asking that you report it immediately here: https://oda.fyi/HornetReport. If you do not have internet access, you can make a report by calling 503-986-4636.

Additional Resources:

• USDA New Pest Response Guidelines for Asian Giant Hornet

• Resources from the Washington Department of Agriculture:

  • Information for Beekeepers

  • Join the Asian Giant Hornet Watch Facebook Group

  • Asian Giant Hornet Fact Sheet for farmers, gardeners, hunters, hikers, and outdoor workers. Available in Spanish: Farmers and outdoor workers

  • WSDA Virtual Press Conference (Recorded May 29, 2020): https://youtu.be/dzDgxBw48pM

The information above was compiled from the Oregon Department of Agriculture Pest Alert, Washington Department of Agriculture Hornet Webpage, and the USDA New Pest Response Guidelines for Asian Giant Hornet.

*Asian Giant Hornet Update from WSDA (7/24/2020)*

On July 24th, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) released an Asian giant hornet stakeholder update. Below are a few important takeaways from the update:

• Volunteers have put up over 1300 traps, which is in addition to the hundreds of traps managed by WSDA!

• The Washington Invasive Species Council contributed $3,000 toward the cost of billboards in Whatcom County, WA to help raise awareness and encourage reporting of Asian giant hornets.

• WSDA is partnering with the Washington State University Master Gardeners to provide a training (August 11 at 10 a.m.) for Master Gardeners who might be answering questions or receiving suspected Asian giant hornet specimens from clients. Master gardeners who are interested in participating in this webinar should contact their program coordinator for  information on how to attend the training.

All Asian giant hornet stakeholder updates from WSDA can be found here. If you would like to receive updates from WSDA’s Pest Program on Asian giant hornet (and other topics), click here.

Thank you for your interest in protecting Oregon from invasive species. To learn more about the Oregon Invasive Species Council and to report sightings of invasive species, please visit https://www.oregoninvasivespeciescouncil.org/report-an-invader and follow us on Facebook & Twitter.

(Post updated August 19, 2020)

Oregon Invasive Species Hotline in Action

In May of this year, an Oregon Forest Pest Detectors (OFPD) program graduate submitted a report to the Oregon Invasive Species Hotline after finding D-shaped exit holes and a green insect on a twinberry in her yard in SE Portland. The OFPD program trains volunteers to monitor for and report potential infestations of invasive forest pests. The green insect was later identified as Agrilus cyanescens, an exotic beetle that has been established in the eastern U.S. since the 1920s, but had never before been detected in the Pacific Northwest. 

In early August, another OFPD graduate submitted a report to the Oregon Invasive Species Hotline after she noticed similar damage to a twinberry in her yard in NE Portland. This was also later confirmed to also be Agrilus cyanescens. 

At this time, the Oregon Department of Agriculture does not believe Agrilus cyanescens will be an economic, ecological, or horticultural pest. However, if you do notice any signs or symptoms of Agrilus cyanescens (branch dieback, D-shaped exit holes, serpentine-shaped galleries beneath the bark, and metallic green beetles feeding on leaves in April-May), we encourage you to submit a report. 

Thank you to these two Oregon Forest Pest Detectors for being on the lookout and submitting a report to the Oregon Invasive Species Hotline! 

This story was originally shared in the
OFPD Summer 2019 newsletter

Asian Gypsy Moth Introduction

THE EUROPEAN GYPSY MOTH

Lymantria dispar, is one of North America's most significant and devastating forest pests. Introduced into North America in the late 1860s in Massachusetts, the European gypsy moth is now a well-documented forest canopy and nuisance pest in its introduced range. Its host range exceeds 300 species of deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs. At high populations, gypsy moths can completely defoliate trees, leading to whole tree mortality coupled with other stressors such as drought and other insects.

Gypsy moths overwinter in tan-colored egg masses located on the bark of trees, leaves, or other nearby objects. Eggs hatch the following spring. Young caterpillars are dark, fuzzy, and lack obvious markings. Eventually, blue and red spots become more visible on their backs. Gypsy moth caterpillars spend most of their life consuming the leaves (or needles) of their host trees. Defoliation continues and is followed by pupation. Moths emerge to mate and lay eggs. The flightless white female moths emit pheromones to attract the brown, flying male moths. Gypsy moths have one generation per year.

THE ASIAN GYPSY MOTH

Lymantria dispar asiatica, a subspecies of the European gypsy moth. Similar in most ways, the Asian gypsy moth comes equipped with two additional weapons under its belt: 1) a much broader host range (more than 500 trees and shrubs), and 2) the female moth’s ability to fly, enabling populations to expand quicker and farther than the European gypsy moth.

In 2015 the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) and other state and federal cooperators caught two Asian gypsy moths and 12 European gypsy moths statewide. The two Asian gypsy moths were caught near the Port of Portland Terminal 4 area in St. Johns and across the Willamette River in the adjacent Forest Park. Of the 12 European gypsy moths, five were caught in or near Portland Metro/Tri-county area (three in Northwest Portland, one in Forest Grove and one in West Linn). The other seven European gypsy moths were caught in northwest Grants Pass where ODA had been catching gypsy moths in 2014 (four moths) and 2013 (two moths).

USDA convened a Technical Working Group in October 2015 to discuss the Asian gypsy moth catch situations in Oregon and Washington. An Asian and European gypsy moth eradication plan are being developed for the Northwest Portland area in 2016. It is proposed that about 8,000 acres would be treated with an aerial application of a biological pesticide Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki in the spring of 2016 to eradicate the Asian and European gypsy moth infestation. Delimitation traps will be placed in 2016 to monitor the success of the eradication and to pinpoint any remaining populations.

WHY SHOULD WE CARE?

Because we’ll lose a lot trees. Gypsy moth caterpillars have little discretion. As previously mentioned, their host range is great, and they can completely defoliate trees. In a year with sufficient precipitation, deciduous trees that have been defoliated can flush out a new set leaves that season. As outstanding as this sounds, and although a testament to these trees’ apparent health, flushing out a new set of leaves stresses a tree. Forced to undergo this stress for more than one year, trees become weak and prone to other insects and diseases. Gypsy moth can also defoliate coniferous trees such as Douglas fir and hemlock (both dominant species on Forest Park). Unlike deciduous trees, coniferous trees cannot flush out a new set of needles in that same year and are therefore not able to “bounce back” after an attack.

IN SUMMARY, THIS IS WHAT LIVING WITH GYPSY MOTH IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WOULD LOOK LIKE:

• Cyclic defoliation of the trees in Forest Park and surrounding areas, resulting in increased water temperatures and increased organic material in the streams, which will impact native aquatic species.

• Deteriorating forest health conditions coupled with stress caused by drought, resulting in increased tree mortality and the subsequent risk of forest fires.

• Long-term increase in pesticide use due to suppression projects and quarantine regulatory treatments.

• Loss of markets and increased production costs to a variety natural resource and agricultural production economies.

• Increased exposure of migrant agricultural workers to insecticides.

• Overall decrease in quality of life for residents and visitors in and or near forests. Based upon three decades of high density trapping data we know that gypsy moth is not established in Oregon. Furthermore, ODA has decades of experience conducting early detection and rapid response, which has resulted in safe and effective eradication of this pest.

Steel Plates

Asian gypsy moths are not official United States residents. Their home territory is native to Russia, China and Japan. Last year, they hitched a ride on ships coming from Far East Russia loaded with steel plates. They were attracted to the ships by the bright lights used to light up the harbor. Asian gypsy moths love to lay their eggs on smooth flat surfaces, such as the steel plates. Once the ships were loaded with cargo they headed to their destination, Pacific Northwest ports.

The fuzzy brown egg masses arrived here in Portland last spring and some of the intrepid traveling eggs hatched! They found their way into Forest Park and St. Johns and grew up into fully-fledged adults, hoping to make a home for themselves.

An egg mass found on the steel slab during an egg mass search.

The problem with these moths? They love to eat leaves. Lots and lots and lots of leaves. So much they can eat all the leaves off trees in short order, leaving us without the "green" part of Oregon. They also like to travel rapidly. Once they have had a few generations of babies, they can quickly travel to other parts of the state that has yummy, yummy leaves. Trees don't do so well without their leaves!