Forest Insects Over 636,000 species known. Two types of development: Complete and incomplete. Complete has 4 life stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Incomplete has nymph and adult stages. Nymphs look just like the adults, only they are smaller.

Southern Pine Beetle The most destructive forest insect in the South

Pitch Tubes  Pitch tubes are the tree’s defense mechanism  However, there are not always pitch tubes. In drought situations, trees generally will not produce pitch.

SPB Beetle Gallery Pattern Egg Nitch Larval Galleries Adult Galleries

Southern Pine Beetle Aerial View

Ips Beetles The biggest difference in the appearance of SPB and Ips is the shoveled out shape of the rear.

Ips Gallery Patterns Adult Gallery (Y or H-shaped) Larval Gallery

Ips and SPB Gallery Patterns

Controls for SPB and Ips Salvage- remove and utilize the wood as soon as possible. Cut and leave-fell the trees and let them lay, this disorients the beetles. These are the two major control methods for all pine bark beetles.

Black Turpentine Beetle

Black Turpentine SPB

Gypsy Moth FemaleMale

Facts about Gypsy Moth Male moths fly and females do not. Females are egg machines and lay from 100 to 800 eggs at a time. Eggs hatch in late April early May. Larva are the life stage that does damage by defoliating hardwoods. Larva have a double row of 5 pair of blue spots followed by 6 pair of red spots.

Gypsy Moth Larva

Gypsy Moth Females Laying Egg Masses

GM Damage to Hardwoods

GM Trapping Pheromone traps are deployed in every county by Dept. of Agriculture or the North Carolina Forest Service. Traps are placed on a 4 mile grid throughout the counties. Traps are set out in late May and picked up in August. Pheromone traps only catch male moths.

GM Aerial Spraying

Diseases Diseases can be caused by aspects of the physical environment (weather, air pollution, poor soil), fungi, bacteria, viruses, and parasitic plants. Most forest diseases are caused by fungi. Some diseases have alternate hosts. Insects and other animals can help to transmit diseases.

The Differences Between Signs and Symptoms Symptoms-abnormal appearance or function of tree. Dying branches, or leaves that are fading are symptoms. Signs-any visible structure of the pathogen. Conks or fruiting bodies are signs.

Annosus Root Rot This is a wind thrown tree-usually one of the first things you notice with this disease.

Annosus Fruiting Bodies Fruiting body

Methods of infection This disease is spread through root grafts of living trees. New spores land on freshly cut stumps and spread to the roots. Resin-soaked root (darker regions of root)

Annosus Control and Prevention Thinning in the hot summer prevents the spores from surviving on the cut stumps. Covering the stumps in high value stands or yards with Borax kills the spores on contact. Prescribed burns and the manipulation of planting density.

Fusiform Rust Most southern yellow pines are infected by this fungus. Infections start in the needles. Most infections occur in the early spring. It is easy to distinguish because of its bright orange spores on the galls. This disease has to have an Oak Tree as an alternate host to complete it life cycle.

Fusiform Rust Gall Spores on a Gall

Fusiform Alternate Host, Oak Telia are the spores on the oaks. This disease does not damage the oaks.

Control of Fusiform Rust There are no real controls for this disease. Some of the galls on limbs can be cut off before they enter the stem or bole. Cut trees that are infected. Do not plant pines and oaks together.