Lexington, KY 40546

Online at: www.uky.edu/KPN

Number 1357
SHADE TREES & ORNAMENTALS -Barklice on Tree Trunks LANDSCAPES -Crane Flies and Non-Biting Gnats GENERAL PESTS -Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Update

September 17, 2013

DIAGNOSTIC LAB HIGHLIGHTS INSECT TRAP COUNTS

SHADE TREES & ORNAMENTALS Barklice on Tree Trunks Lee Townsend, Extension Entomologist "Herds" of winged or wingless barklice can be found on tree trunks and main branches of ornamentals during early fall. These soft-bodied insects have long antennae and a dark body, sometimes banded body. Groups of them may be found under gray webbing that they produce (Figure 1).

a cohesive unit that will disperse if you move a finger toward them. When you take it away they will move back together. Barklice are not a problem but tend to be associated with excessive shade and mold growth or sap flow from wounds.

LANDSCAPES Crane Flies and Non-Biting Gnats Lee Townsend, Extension Entomologist Crane flies (Figure 2) and gnats (Figure 3) are most active in the spring and fall, especially if rainfall has been above normal. The larvae of these insects develop in moist decaying organic matter, seepage areas, and ponds. There are many species of both in a variety of sizes and colors. In large numbers they can be a nuisance but none bite or cause harm.

Figure 1. Barklice on a tree trunk.

Barklice have chewing mouthparts that are used to feed on fungi, algae, dead plant tissue, and other debris. They are a curiosity, but cause no harm and can provide some entertainment. Barklice occur in groups that have a herd instinct. They tend to stay in

Figure 2. Large crane flies are often thought to be giant mosquitoes but they are harmless.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Timeline

Cincinnati, OH

Jeffersonville, IN

Figure 3. Dark-winged fungus gnat.

2010/11 2011/12 2012/2013 Suspected

Usually, there are a relatively small number of crane flies and they are a curiosity. In contrast, huge swarms of gnats can appear, often suddenly and cover vegetation or exterior walls. The gnats may be simply attracted to vertical surfaces or nearby exterior lights. Typically, these flies survive for a few days, just long enough to mate and lay eggs. Source removal or reduction is one of the tactics used in insect management, but with these insects the source(s) may not be evident or it may be impractical to treat or remove them. Sprays of household insecticides labeled for control of flying gnats may provide some control, but flies killed by the treatment are quickly replaced by new arrivals. They will disappear before too long.

Knoxville, TN

Figure 4. Brown marmorated stink bug distribution.

Ashland, Lexington, and Louisville were first detected in the fall of 2010, so the levels we are seeing now are the result of at least 3 years of increase. I would expect that these levels will again increase in 2014 with more reports from urban and agricultural clientele. Many of the other counties with BMSB detected their initial infestations in the fall of 2011 or 2012 and those infestations are lagging behind that of the 2010 infestations.

GENERAL PESTS Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Update Ric Bessin, Extension Entomologist Unlike the spotted wing drosophila (SWD) that exploded in numbers quickly this summer across the Commonwealth, brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is continuing to increase in numbers at a much slower pace and has only been confirmed in 25 counties (Figure 4). One reason for the difference between these two invasive species is that SWD can complete its life cycle in about 10 days while BMSB has only 1 or 2 generations per year in Kentucky. In Lexington, we are beginning to find BMSB in backyard fruit and vegetable crops, our Horticultural Research Farm in peppers, and our North Farm in soybeans at low but detectable numbers. In the Louisville area we have a report of large numbers on a commercial vegetable farm. Infestations in

Figure 5. Brown marmorated stink bug nymph on blackberries.

In the past week or so, BMSB has begun its fall migration toward structures. While this will mean fewer feeding on plants and produce, soon it will be causing more problems in the home. Just as with the multicolor Asian lady beetle, the best defense will be to pest-proof homes in these areas. See ENTFACT 641, How to pest proof your home, for more information (http://www2.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/entfact pdf/ef641.pdf). Pest-proofing needs to be done early to prevent pests for entering the home in the first place. With the fall migration toward buildings just

beginning, it is likely that several counties may detect there first infestations this fall.

On fruit and vegetable samples, we have diagnosed bitter rot on grape; frogeye leaf spot, cedar-apple rust, bitter rot and sooty blotch/flyspeck on apple; downy mildew on cucumber and pumpkin; powdery mildew on pumpkin; potyvirus complex on squash; and anthracnose on watermelon. On ornamentals and turf, we have seen downy mildew on impatiens; Fusarium wilt on chrysanthemum; Pythium root rot on pansy; impatiens necrotic spot virus on gloxinia; Cercsospora leaf spot and rust on hydrangea; bacterial leaf scorch on maple, oak and sycamore; Coniothyrium canker and rosette on rose; Rhizosphaera needlecast and Phytophthora root rot on spruce; and brown patch on fescue.
2013 INSECT TRAP COUNTS September 6 to September 13
Location Black cutworm Armyworm European corn borer Corn earworm Southwestern corn borer Fall armyworm Princeton, KY 3 0 0 62 0 10 Lexington, KY 0 0 0 1 0 2

Figure 6. A brown marmorated stink bug adult with the characteristic bands on the antennae, smooth shoulders, and white triangles around the abdomen.

Preliminary results with exclusionary netting have been very encouraging as an alternative management tactic for organic producers and backyard gardeners. This work has been done by Rachelyn Dobson (UK Masters Degree student) at the UK Horticultural farm in Lexington as well as in Tennessee (Mary Rogers, UT) and SW Virginia (Warren Landis, Strawberry Creek Farm). Our results in Lexington have indicated that the 1/6 or 1/8 sized screening material effectively excludes BMSB while allowing lady beetles and other beneficial insect predators and parasitoids to pass through. Plants under the netting also were about 50% larger and had less sunscald due to the positive effects of shading. This study will be repeated in 2014.

DIAGNOSTIC LAB HIGHLIGHTS Julie Beale and Brenda Kennedy, Plant Disease Diagnosticians; and Sara Long, Diagnostic Assistant

Graphs of insect trap counts for the 2013 season are available on the IPM Web site at http://www.uky.edu/Ag/IPM/ipm.htm.

Agronomic samples diagnosed in the Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab in the past week have included summer black stem & leaf spot on alfalfa; Trichoderma ear rot on corn; frogeye leaf spot, potassium deficiency, Phyllosticta leaf spot, sudden death syndrome, and downy mildew on soybean; and black shank and hollow stalk on tobacco.

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