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Zebra
Mussels Found in Zorinsky Lake (Nov 22, 2010)
Nebraska Fish and Game Association Forum.
The zebra mussel has been confirmed
in a southwest Omaha lake. It is the first time a zebra mussel has been found
in a publicly accessible lake in Nebraska.
Exotic
Fruit Fly (peach fruit fly) Found In Miami-Dade County (Nov
15, 2010)
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services.
A peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata, has been found in a trap in
a guava tree in Miami-Dade County. This is the first Florida find for this
species of fruit fly.
New
Soybeans With Seed Rot Resistance Identified
Agricultural Research Magazine (Nov/Dec
2010 - Vol. 58, No. 10)
The fungus Phomopsis longicolla is largely to blame for a disease
called Phomopsis seed decay (PSD) that has claimed more than 5 million
bushels of U.S. soybeans each of the past 5 years. The seed disease is most
problematic in Midwestern and southern states. An Agricultural Research Service
pathologist and colleagues are conducting a study to screen for PSD resistance
in hundreds of soybean germplasm accessions, breeding lines, and commercial
cultivars collected from around the world. In prior field trials, the
team had identified several promising PSD-resistant soybean lines from commercial
varieties provided by Mississippi State University collaborators and plant
introductions from the USDA Germplasm Collection.
Invading
Weed Threatens Devastation to Western Rangelands (Nov 11, 2010)
Oregon State University.
A new field study confirms that the invasive weed, medusahead,
has growth advantages over most other grass species, suggesting it will continue
to spread across much of the West, disrupt native ecosystems and make millions
of acres of grazing land almost worthless. Scientists from Oregon State University
and the Agricultural Research Service conducted a comprehensive study that
compared the "relative growth rate" of this invasive annual grass
to that of other competing species in natural field conditions. They found
that medusahead has a faster growth rate, a longer period of growth and produced
more total biomass even than cheatgrass – another
invading species that is a major problem, but not as devastating as medusahead. The
findings are published in the Journal of Arid Environments article Field
growth comparisons of invasive alien annual and native perennial grasses in
monocultures.
Invasive
Hemlock Insect Found in Kittery Point (Nov 5, 2010)
Maine Forest Service.
A new population of the invasive insect, Elongate
Hemlock Scale, that damages hemlocks, has been discovered in southern Maine.
Brown
Marmorated Stink Bug Reported in Indiana for the First Time (PDF
| 144 KB) (Oct 25, 2010)
Purdue University.
Extension. Department of Entomology.
Africanized
Honeybees Found in Georgia (Oct 22, 2010)
University of Georgia. Center for Invasive
Species and Ecosystem Health. Bugwood Blog.
Entomological tests have confirmed that Africanized honeybees were responsible
for the death of an elderly man in Dougherty County last week. This is the
first record of Africanized honeybees in Georgia.
DEP
Reports Zebra Mussels Discovered in Lake Zoar and Lake Lillinonah (Oct
15, 2010)
Connecticut Department of Environmental
Protection.
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that
the aquatic invasive species, Zebra
Mussel, has been discovered in Lake Zoar and Lake Lillinonah, two large
impoundments on the Housatonic River in western Connecticut. This is the first
report of a new infestation since zebra mussels were first discovered in Connecticut
in 1998 in East and West Twin Lakes in Salisbury.
Hunterdon
County finds first North American instance of invasive Chinese
pond mussel (Sep 26, 2010)
New Jersey On-Line.
New Jersey state biologists confirmed Chinese pond mussels were found in Hunterdon
County, after a recent DNA test. This is the first known intrusion of the freshwater
pond mussel in North America.
USDA Confirms
Citrus Disease in Texas and Louisiana (Aug 23, 2010)
USDA.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) announced the presence of Elsinoë australis. This is
the first detection in the U.S. of the fungal pathogen, which poses no risk
to human health. Sweet orange scab is a fungal pathogen of citrus caused by Elsinoë australis that
results in unsightly, scab-like lesions developing on fruit rinds and, less
often, on leaves and twigs. The damage produced is superficial and does
not affect internal fruit quality or taste. The disease was found as the result
of surveys conducted under the USDA Citrus
Health Response Program.
State
Researchers Find New Non-Native Invasive Species (Aug 19, 2010)
Massachusetts Energy and Environmental
Affairs.
A team of 20 scientists led by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sea Grant College Program discovered
the first European shrimp to appear in North American waters, in Salem on Jul
31. The shrimp, Palaemon elegans (known as "Rock Pool Prawn" in
England) is a carnivore, consuming large numbers of smaller crustaceans. The
discovery was made during a Massachusetts survey to collect, identify and catalogue
marine organisms in coastal waters from Cape Cod through Maine's mid-coast.
Previous surveys have revealed over 30 introduced marine organisms, several
of which were identified for the first time in New England coastal waters.
These rapid assessment surveys help scientists identify problem areas and find
solutions to prevent the spread of invasive species.
DEP and
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Announce the Presence
of Emerald Ash Borer in Saugerties, New York (Jul 22, 2010)
Connecticut Department of Environmental
Protection.
Federal agricultural officials have confirmed the presence of the Emerald
Ash Borer (EAB) in nearby
Saugerties, New York (which is about 25 miles from the Connecticut border).
EAB has not been found in the state of Connecticut. DEP is
asking Connecticut residents to report
possible EAB infestations.
Potato
Late Blight Confirmed in Wisconsin (Jul 14, 2010)
University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension.
Late
blight, caused by the fungus-like pathogen Phytophthora
infestans, has been confirmed in a potato
field in Marquette County on Jul 14, 2010.
This is the first confirmed report of late
blight in Wisconsin for 2010. In 2009, late
blight affected primarily tomatoes in Wisconsin,
with the first report on Jul 29, two weeks
later than this report for potatoes. The University
of Wisconsin- Madison Vegetable Pathology Web
Site has additional information, including
fungicide details.
Federal,
State, and Local Officials Announce Discovery of Asian Longhorned
Beetles on Grounds of Boston's Faulkner Hospital (PDF | 58 KB) (Jul
6, 2010)
Massachusetts Department of Conservation
and Recreation.
The discovery of Asian longhorned beetles (ALB)
in six trees in Jamaica Plain represent the first confirmed Massachusetts presence
of Asian Longhorned Beetle outside Worcester County, where the invasive insect
was discovered in Aug 2008.
Reid:
Discovery of New Species at Lake Tahoe Highlights the Need for
Restoration Bill (Jun 4, 2010)
Senator Harry Reid.
Senator Harry Reid issued a statement saying that the recent discovery of the New
Zealand Mudsnail at a Lake Tahoe Basin inspection station demonstrates
the need for the passage of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act. The legislation
(S.
2724) represents a partnership between the federal government, Nevada,
and California that will ensure funding for habitat management programs including
aquatic invasive species prevention, storm water management, watershed restoration,
Lahontan Cutthroat trout reintroduction, and hazardous fuels reduction.
Leek
Moth Positive in St. Lawrence County, New York (Jun 22, 2010)
Cornell Cooperative Extension Community
Horticulture.
Invasive leek moths have been confirmed in Canton this week. The moth attacks
the onion family—garlic, leeks, onions, chives and their relatives. As
reported in a story from
the North County Public Radio, the leek moth originated in Europe and has been
present in Ontario and Quebec since the 1990s. It first appeared in the United
States in Plattsburg, New York last summer—and has now made its way to
Canton.
Mediterranean
Fruit Flies Found In Palm Beach County (Jun 15, 2010)
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services.
Mediterranean fruit flies have been confirmed
in Palm Beach County, Florida. This is the
first major outbreak of Medfly since the 9
county eradication program in 1997 and 1998.
Didymo
Nuisance Blooms Hit Chilean Rivers (Jun 5, 2010)
U.S. Geological
Survey. Fort Collins Science Center.
An extensive bloom of the invasive diatom known as "didymo"” (Didymosphenia
geminata) has been identified in South America for the first time.
New
Zealand Mudsnails the Latest Invasive Species Detected at Lake
Tahoe Basin (May 29, 2010)
Tahoe Daily Tribune.
A new aquatic invasive species has surfaced at Lake Tahoe, the New
Zealand mud snail. Unlike zebra and quagga mussels, mud snails do not affect
water infrastructure and cling to boat engines. The Tahoe Regional Planning
Agency is stepping up inspections of boats at Lake Tahoe in an effort to keep
aquatic invasive species out of it. See Protect
Your Boat, Protect Lake Tahoe for watercraft inspection information.
Bat
Fungus Documented in Oklahoma (PDF | 92 KB) (May 19, 2010)
Oklahoma Department of Conservation. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
A bat from a cave in northwest Oklahoma has tested positive for the fungus
associated with white
nose syndrome (WNS). Laboratory tests by the U.S. Geological
Survey detected the genetic signature of the fungus in a single bat submitted
from Oklahoma. The presentation on the Oklahoma bat was not typical of the
way WNS has been observed in bats in the eastern U.S. This
is the first discovery of the fungus in the state and is the most western report
of the fungus. To date, all of the WNS cases have been east of the Mississippi
River.
Emerald
Ash Borer Found In Iowa Along Banks of the Mississippi River in
Allamakee County (May 14, 2010)
Iowa State University. Extension.
This is the first
confirmed EAB infestation in Iowa.
USDA Confirms
New Citrus Disease (citrus black spot) in Florida (Apr 8, 2010)
USDA.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
APHIS confirmed
the presence of Guignardia citricarpa, or citrus
black spot, in Florida. Citrus black
spot is a fungal disease marked by dark,
speckled spots or blotches on the rinds of
fruit and is an economically significant
citrus disease. It causes early fruit drop,
reduces crop yield and renders the highly
blemished fruit unmarketable. The disease
has been a production problem in Southeast
Asia, Australia, South America and Africa
and until now, hasn't been reported in the U.S.
Deadly Fungus (white-nose
syndrome) Threatens 9 Bat Species in GA, KY, NC, SC and TN, Expert
Says (Apr 7, 2010)
USDA. FS.
Southern Research Station.
A leading bat expert identified nine bat species in Georgia, Kentucky, North
Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee that she believes are most threatened
by white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungus that kills bats and appears to be rapidly
spreading south from the northeastern U.S. WNS
has been confirmed in Tennessee, and she says it is just a matter of time before
the fungus is detected in Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina.
White
Nose Syndrome Confirmed In Bats From Western Maryland Cave (Mar
18, 2010)
Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Biologists have confirmed that bat carcasses collected from a cave near Cumberland
on Mar 5, 2010 were infected with White Nose Syndrome (WNS). This is the first
confirmed WNS case in Maryland.
Deadly
Fish Virus Now Found in all Great Lakes (Jan 27, 2010)
Cornell University.
Cornell researchers report that viral hemorrhagic
septicemia virus (VHS), a deadly fish virus, that was first discovered
in the Northeast in 2005 has been found for the first time in fish from Lake
Superior. That means that the virus has now been documented in all of the Great
Lakes. On a worldwide basis, VHS is considered one of the most serious pathogens
of fish, because it kills so many fish, is not treatable and infects a broad
range of fish species.
Chronic
Wasting Disease Found in White-tailed Deer in Virginia (Jan
20, 2010)
Virginia Department of Game and Inland
Fisheries.
White-tailed deer have tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD). This
is the first confirmed case of CWD in Virginia. Virginia now joins 17 other
states and Canadian provinces with CWD, five of which are east of the Mississippi
River. |
