Repost from by the USA National Phenology Network
Insects play incredibly important roles in our ecosystems. Various insects pollinate many of the plants upon which we rely for fruits and vegetables, help to decompose dead plants and animals, and are a vital food source for many animals.
There are also a few insects that are truly troublesome, causing major problems that can lead to diminished tree health and sometimes widespread tree death. For example, the emerald ash borer, a beetle that was introduced into the United States from Asia nearly 20 years ago, has destroyed tens of millions of ash trees and is actively spreading across the U.S.
For some of these pests, management action is far more effective when it is undertaken at a specific stage in the insect’s life cycle. For example, apple maggots are best controlled in the span of time occurring after adults emerge from the soil and before they begin to lay eggs in apples. Advance warning of when the life stage of interest will occur in an insect pest can dramatically improve the timing and efficacy of management actions.
The USA National Phenology Network’s Pheno Forecast maps indicate, for a specified day, the status of life cycle stage for several troublesome insect pests in real time across the contiguous United States. These maps are updated daily and are available 6 days in the future.
Pheno Forecast maps are offered for the following species through the USA-NPN visualization tool and the USA-NPN website:
- apple maggot (Rhagoletis pomonella)
- Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis)
- bagworm (Thyridopteryx ephameraeformis)
- bronze birch borer (Agrilus anxius)
- eastern tent caterpillar (Malacosoma americanum)
- emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis)
- gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar)
- hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae)
- lilac borer (Podosesia syringae)
- magnolia scale (Neolecanium cornuparvum)
- pine needle scale (Chionaspis pinifoliae)
- winter moth (Operophtera brumata)
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[ Repost ] Credit Source Theresa Crimmins arborday.com