Tag: Invasive species

2023 Week 13 (Released August 3, 2023)

Insect scouting season continues! Development of many pest insects (and of their host crops) is ahead of schedule this year, thanks to warmer than average weather during this growing season.

Between fieldwork and summer vacations, this Weekly Update is a short one. Thankfully, Shelley Barkley (Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation), James Tansey (Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture) and John Gavloski (Manitoba Agriculture) have kindly shared information about what they are seeing for insect pests in their respective prairie provinces.

Adult grasshoppers are now in flight and are expected to be busy reproducing across the prairie region. Scouting individual fields is important to best estimate crop risk. Information about grasshoppers and grasshopper monitoring is available from the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network, in the Field Crop and Forage Pests guide, Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, and Manitoba Agriculture.

**Adult (brown with fully developed wings) and immature (green with wing ‘nubs’). Picture by Meghan Vankosky, AAFC-Saskatoon.**

Diamondback moth, if present, should now be well into their fourth generation across the prairies. As warm temperatures prevail, remember that diamondback moth develop from eggs to adults quickly and the population increases with each generation. Scout canola fields for diamondback moth larvae. To scout for diamondback moth, estimate the number of diamondback moth larvae per m² at several locations in a field. The economic threshold for diamondback moth is NOT based on pheromone traps or sweep net samples, but on the density of larvae per plant. For immature and flowering canola, the economic threshold is 100-150 larvae/m². In podded canola, the economic threshold is 200-300 larvae/m². See the Field Crop and Forage Pests guide and monitoring protocol for more information about scouting for diamondback moth.

Watch out for Invasive and Migrating Insects! If you suspect that you have found any of the insects on the Prairie Region Poster, please let us know using the form linked to the QR code on the poster. Note: many of us entomologists on the prairies are members of the Insect Surveillance Community of Practice!

On the topic of invasive insects, August is Tree Check Month! The Prairie Region Poster (and posters for BC, Ontario & Quebec, and Atlantic Canada) include invasive insect pests that could affect our forests in Canada.

Remember: 1) there are many resources available to help with planning for late-season insecticide applications to ensure Pre-Harvest Interval requirements are met, and 2) insect Monitoring Protocols containing information about in-field scouting as well as information about insect pest biology and identification are available from the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network.

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Questions or problems accessing the contents of this Weekly Update? Please contact Dr. Meghan Vankosky (meghan.vankosky@agr.gc.ca) to get connected to our information. Past Weekly Updates, full of information and helpful links, can be accessed on our Weekly Update page .

Watch Out for Invasive Insects

Invasive insects are a threat to agriculture and forestry in Canada. The Insect Surveillance Community of Practice is asking anyone monitoring, photographing, or observing insects to be on the lookout for invasive insects across Canada. They have developed posters for four regions of Canada, including the Prairies, with pictures and information about potentially invasive insects of concern to each region.

Early detection is critical for slowing the spread of invasive insects. Please view the poster for your region using the links below to learn more about insects to watch out for. Use the QR code on the poster to report your detections/observations.

**A sample of the first page of the Prairie Region poster of invasive and migratory insects to watch for.**

Prairie Region (French version here)

British Columbia (French version here)

Ontario & Quebec (French version here)

Atlantic Canada (French version here)

This initiative is a collaborative project developed by the Insect Surveillance Community of Practice of the Canadian Plant Health Council, a multi-partner body that coordinates action for the protection of plant health in Canada.

Watch Out for Invasive Insects

From the Insect Surveillance Community of Practice:

Do you spend time monitoring, photographing or observing insects? If so, your help is needed to watch for and report invasive and migratory insect pests that harm plants, causing damage to Canada’s environment, farm lands, forests, parks and other natural areas. Early detection is critical for slowing the spread of these insect pests.

View the poster for your region (links below) to learn more about priority insect pests to watch out for. Use the QR codes on the posters to report your detections!

A sample from the Priority Invasive and Migratory Insects to Report poster for the Prairie Region. Use the links below to view and download the full version of the Prairie Region poster, as well as posters for other regions in Canada.

Prairie Region (French version here)

British Columbia (French version here)

Ontario & Quebec (French version here)

Atlantic Canada (French version here)

INVASIVE PEST ALERT: STRAWBERRY BLOSSOM WEEVIL

Strawberry blossom weevil (Anthonomus rubi), a recent invader of the Fraser Valley of British Columbia (BC), has been busy clipping buds this spring in strawberry and raspberry fields. This weevil was first spotted in raspberries in Abbotsford, BC in 2019. Native to Europe, Asia, and parts of North Africa, this weevil is now established in the Fraser Valley of BC and northwestern Washington state. It has not yet been found in the prairie provinces.

**Damage to strawberry buds from the strawberry blossom weevil. Photo credit: Michelle Franklin, AAFC-Agassiz.**

Different from many of the nocturnal root feeding weevils that damage roots and stunt plant growth in berries, strawberry blossom weevil is active during the day. It is small (2-3 mm long) with a small white patch of scales on the scutellum (back) and a long slender rostrum (snout). The female weevil is the main source of damage, as she deposits her eggs inside of green developing buds. She first chews a hole in the bud and then turns around and lays an egg inside, after which she clips the stem below.

**A female strawberry blossom weevil laying an egg into a Himalayan blackberry bud. Photo credit: Warren Wong.**

Typically a single c-shaped larvae develops inside of a bud. The larvae then pupates and the adult weevil emerges from the bud by chewing an exit hole.

**A strawberry blossom weevil larva, about 2.5 mm long, inside a berry bud. Photo credit: Warren Wong.**

We are currently investigating the impact of this new weevil on strawberry and raspberry crops in the Fraser Valley of BC. Reports from its native range in Europe indicate that bud losses associated with strawberry blossom weevil range widely from 5 to 90% and yield losses over 60% have been reported. Despite the name, strawberry blossom weevil uses a wide range of host plants in the family Rosaceae – including the invasive Himalayan blackberry and ornamental plants such as rose and potentilla. The United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) put a Federal Order in place in September 2021 and continues to require a phytosanitary certificate to move Fragaria, Rubus, and Rosa plants from Canada into the USA (Federal Order DA-2021-25).

We need your help surveying for this pest! Although strawberry blossom weevil has not been detected beyond the Fraser Valley of BC, we are continuing a nation-wide survey in summer 2023 for this pest. Adult weevils naturally drop when disturbed so they can be detected by a method called beat sampling – where plants are tapped from above and weevils are collected into a tray below. Like many other insects, they are also attracted to the colour yellow and can be collected on yellow sticky cards. Visual surveys for damaged buds with severed stems can also be useful when searching for strawberry blossom weevil. In collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Geomatics Team we have developed a Story Map for Strawberry Blossom Weevil to summarize our survey efforts thus far.

If you see a weevil you suspect to be strawberry blossom weevil, snap a picture and submit it to our iNaturalist project (Anthonomus rubi in North America · iNaturalist).

For more information, check out factsheets prepared by the Invasive Species Council of BC, the CFIA, and the province of BC.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SPOTTED LANTERNFLY!

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and entomologists are on the lookout for Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), a new invasive species in the United States that could move north into Canada. This very distinctive bug has tan-coloured forewings with black spots and can be quite large as adults (about 2.5 cm long by 1 cm wide). The underwing of the adults has bright red or pink highlights.

Spotted Lanternfly. Photo credit: Dr. Bryan Brunet, AAFC Ottawa

Spotted Lanternfly is native to Asia but was detected in Pennsylvania, United States of America, in 2014. Since then, it has been found in many states in the northeast of the United States, including Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. It can disperse short distances as an adult or nymph by walking or flying, but eggs can be moved long distances by humans, especially if they are laid on vehicles, packing materials, or other items that are moved by humans. It is very important to inspect vehicles for egg masses if you are traveling back to Canada from areas where spotted lanternfly is established.

Spotted Lanternfly Egg Mass. Photo credit: Holly Raguza, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org

Adults and nymphs of the spotted lanternfly feed on their host plants by sucking sap from leaves and stems. Their preferred host plant is tree-of-heaven, a plant introduced to North America. However, spotted lanternfly also feeds on grapes, apples, plums, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, oak, walnut, and poplar trees. Thus, this insect could be a significant threat to the orchard and forestry industries in Canada.

Spotted lanternfly is on the CFIA regulated pest list, thus, it is our responsibility to report sightings. Early detection of this invasive insect is the best way to eradicate it and prevent it from becoming established in Canada. If you think you have seen or found a spotted lanternfly, report it to the CFIA Canadian Food Inspection Agency / Agence canadienne d’inspection des aliments. Refer to this PDF copy of an expanded description of this invasive species.

You can also upload sightings to iNaturalist.ca and tag @cfia-acia in the comment section of your observation to reach the CFIA experts.

References:

This article is an edited version of Dave Holden’s earlier article on the same subject. The article can be seen at this link: Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) – Fact sheet – Canadian Food Inspection Agency (canada.ca) , or on the CFIA facebook page: Have you seen the… – Canadian Food Inspection Agency | Facebook

iNaturalist.ca

Looking for help online to identify unusual flora and fauna? Apps aplenty exist but consider iNaturalist.ca because there are underlying benefits!

iNaturalist.ca helps users identify terrestrial organisms by connecting to online “experts” able to identify and provide information to users but there’s an underlying secondary benefit: Researchers, institutions, and active research projects can set up Lists and access observations within iNaturalist.ca. This is citizen science in action!

“Every observation can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed”, to quote from iNaturalist.ca’s webpage.

Here’s how Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) who are already using and accessing valuable data from this resource to aid in the early detection of invasive species.

What’s best – iNaturalist.ca OR iNaturalist.com? Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the team that focuses on the detection of invasive species generally recommends iNaturalist.ca because it allows Canadians better access to Canadian experts and Canadian data.

Is iNaturalist.ca worth using to identify unknown insects encountered in field crops? iNaturalist.ca is going to be the leader in early detections and is a fairly intuitive and usable tool for everyone. It’s not perfect for all organisms but works well for many. CFIA staff are actively monitoring it and, in the near future, CFIA hopes to set up an account that might allow users to flag observations for their team to see more rapidly.

How does CFIA mine iNaturalist and what is the value? CFIA uses a script through the Intauralist API to query for any mentions of our targeted list under the project here: Important Pest Species List for Canada – Lookout · iNaturalist. CFIA staff members receive a daily email of all the target list mentions (i.e., includes insects, plants, and mollusks). In order to increase early detections, CFIA’s also trying to retrieve data from comments such as when someone mentions a new record or new detection. At this point, only a few pathogens are listed in our pest lookout because many of CFIA’s regulated pests would need more than a picture (so we didn’t add them). CFIA staff believe iNaturalist.ca is a great tool for early detection because the number of observations is very large and growing like crazy AND they are geographically widespread.

The basic steps to get you going are:
◦ Create an account at iNaturalist.ca (https://inaturalist.ca/signup).
◦ Watch your Inbox for a basic how-to guide.
◦ Upload photos or videos (e.g., bird calls) to create an “Observation”.
◦ iNaturalist subscribers considered to be experts will help identify your observation.

Early detection of invasive insect species

Could be coming to a field near you….. Many of Canada’s economically important species of insect pests originated as invasive species that managed to relocate and establish self-sustaining populations. Over time, they become increasingly widespread and so frequently abundant that they are part of the annual list of species we monitor and attempt to manage.

Examples of invasive species existing presently throughout large areas of the Canadian prairies include wheat midge, cereal leaf beetle, cabbage seedpod weevil, pea leaf weevil, swede midge – in fact, the list of invasive species is far longer! Consider the impact of invasive species AND recognize that a growing list of species will likely affect field crops in Canada. Globalization, adaptation, and the development of new cultivars suited to Canada’s growing regions, climate change, plus many other factors will contribute to the reality: we can expect more invasive species to continue to arrive.

Where can you play a role??? Early detection and accurate identification are key steps involved in mitigating the risks associated with new invasive species. Many levels of government are active in the ongoing battle against invasive species. Even so, initial detections often arise from keen in-field scouting by producers or agrologists so access these resources to help identify the “that’s weird” or “I haven’t seen that before”. And be sure to thank the many entomologists – regional, provincial, federal, and some amazing amateurs PLUS the folks at Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) who ALL work to stand on guard for thee!

• Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) main Plant Health section can be accessed here.

• More specifically, CFIA’s Plant Pests and Invasive Species information is accessible here.

• Did you know…. CFIA’s top field crop invasive species include anything falling under the List of Pests Regulated by Canada which is accessible here. Caveats are that (i) some species may be on the list (e.g., codling moth) that are not necessarily a high priority but remain to maintain regulatory policy or (ii) list may include species yet to be removed.

• Anyone can access diagnostic information for invasive species at CFIA’s Plant Pest Surveillance section accessible here.

HERE’S WHERE YOU CAN HELP – Experienced producers and agrologists make important discoveries every day! Keep Canadian agriculture strong and support the detection of invasive species when encountering unusual damage symptoms or unknown insect species. How and what to report plus 3 different pathways to submit your sightings are all described here.

Early detection of invasive insect species

Many of Canada’s economically important species of insect pests originated as invasive species that managed to relocate and establish self-sustaining populations. Over time, they became increasingly widespread and so frequently abundant that they became part of the annual list of species we monitor and attempt to manage.

Examples of invasive species that now exist as part of our field crop landscape include wheat midge, cereal leaf beetle, cabbage seedpod weevil, pea leaf weevil, swede midge – in fact, the list of invasive species is far longer! It’s important to consider the impact of invasive species AND recognize that a growing list of species will likely affect field crops in Canada. Globalization, adaptation, and the development of new cultivars suited to Canada’s growing regions, climate change, plus many other factors will contribute to the reality: we can expect more invasive species to continue to arrive.

• Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) main Plant Health section can be accessed here.

• More specifically, CFIA’s Plant Pests and Invasive Species information is accessible here.

• Anyone can access diagnostic information for invasive species at CFIA’s Plant Pest Surveillance section accessible here.

• HERE’S WHERE YOU CAN HELP – Experienced producers and agrologists make important discoveries every day! Keep Canadian agriculture strong and support the detection of invasive species using this important information and the three options when encountering unusual damage symptoms or unknown insect species:

Important details to be ready to report: Be ready to include details to make a “report” – Sightings need to be validated so providing as much detail as possible will help the expert confirm identifications and relocate the site, if the issue demands urgent attention.
◦ Date of observation
◦ Nearest town and province
◦ Latitude x longitude values
◦ Host plant(s)
◦ Good photo(s) – lateral, dorsal, damage symptoms, host plant, etc., with some sort of size reference is ideal
◦ Chronological photos (i.e., that tell the story of detection and how and when symptoms or specimen came to your attention)
◦ A specimen may be needed by your provincial entomologist or CFIA

Option 1: Contact your provincial entomologist to confirm identifications and details – they are able to help and historically have acted to triage reports then direct relevant information to CFIA counterparts:
◦ Manitoba (John.Gavloski@gov.mb.ca )
◦ Saskatchewan (james.tansey@gov.sk.ca)
◦ Alberta (shelley.barkley@gov.ab.ca)

Option 2: Alternatively, reports can be sent directly using one of the following paths:
◦ Using CFIA’s Report A Pest website form
◦ Contact a local CFIA office
◦ Or contact CFIA’S general surveillance account email at cfia.surveillance-surveillance.acia@canada.ca
◦ Or contact CFIA’s Survey Biologist for the Western Area (david.holden@canada.ca)

Option 3: Another alternative is to consider documenting your query using iNaturalist.ca (read more here). The basic steps involved are:
◦ Create an account at iNaturalist.ca (https://inaturalist.ca/signup)
◦ Watch your Inbox for a basic how-to guide.
◦ Upload photos or videos (e.g., bird calls) to create an “Observation”
◦ iNaturalist subscribers considered to be experts will help identify your observation.