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Invasive Species - What's New on NISIC's Site

See What's New on the NISIC's Web site. Includes items of interest that have been added to our site, in order of most recent post date.

View related information:

  • Resource Search - What's New
    Resources can be filtered by Subject, Resource Type, Location, or Source. If you wish to search for species-related resources and use refinements, enter the species name first before selecting the terms.
  • Conference and Events
    To view more details for the "New Events" section (last 5 events added), and for all conferences and events.

Recent News

  • Yellow-Legged Hornet

    • USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

    • The yellow-legged hornet was first detected in the U.S. when a beekeeper close to Savannah, GA, found an unusual hornet on his property and reported it to the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA). On August 9, 2023, APHIS confirmed the University of Georgia’s identification of this insect as a yellow-legged hornet. Learn more about yellow-legged hornet lookalikes and how to report potential sightings of this new species.

    • Post Date
      Sep 13, 2023
  • Two More Invasives to Look for in Michigan

    • Aug 22, 2023
    • Michigan.gov. Michigan Invasive Species Program.

    • Michigan’s invasive species watch list was recently updated to include two new species and remove another. Mountain pine beetle, a deadly threat to pine trees, and water-primrose, a fast-spreading aquatic plant, have been added to the watch list due to threats they pose to native ecosystems and industry. European frog-bit, originally listed in 2011, has been moved off the list of species of immediate concern and is now considered established in the state.

    • Post Date
      Sep 08, 2023
  • eDNA Research Continues Expanding

  • Protect Your Cattle from Asian Longhorned Ticks and Theileriosis

    • Jun 26, 2023
    • Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. 

    • The Asian Longhorned tick (ALT), which was first discovered in the United States in 2017 has now be found in 19 states including Virginia. Currently, there are 38 Virginia counties with established ALT populations. As ALT populations have increased, a concern for the health of livestock in affected areas has increased as well. ALT is a vector for the parasite Theileria orientalis Ikeda which can cause theileriosis in livestock, including cattle.

    • Post Date
      Aug 20, 2023
  • Discovery of Yellow-Legged Hornet Confirmed in Georgia for the First Time

    • Aug 15, 2023
    • Georgia Department of Agriculture.

    • The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) announced, in coordination with USDA and the University of Georgia, confirmation of the detection of a living yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina) in Savannah, Georgia. This is the first detection of a live yellow-legged hornet in the open U.S., which was confirmed on Aug 9, 2023. GDA is asking the public to report any sightings of the yellow-legged hornet, a non-native hornet species, that, if allowed to establish in Georgia, could potentially threaten honey production, native pollinators, and our state’s number one industry - agriculture. See more information about the yellow-legged hornet, including how to report sightings.

    • Post Date
      Aug 18, 2023
  • Could Camels Be the Key to Fighting Citrus Greening Disease and Other Pathogens?

    • Aug 14, 2023
    • USDA. ARS. Tellus.

    • Researchers have been working on a solution to fight citrus greening disease and may have found one in the unique antibodies found in camels, llamas, and alpacas.

    • Post Date
      Aug 17, 2023
  • Fiery Invasions: Around the World, Flammable Invasive Grass are Increasing the Risks of Damaging Wildfires

    • Aug 4, 2023
    • American Association for the Advancement of Science. Science.

    • Fire-friendly grasses have invaded new habitats around the world. Five species (cheatgrass, cogon grass, gamba grass, molasses grass, and buffelgrass) are considered among the most problematic grasses, threatening to transform entire ecosystems.

    • Post Date
      Aug 17, 2023
  • Giant Snails Take Over Part of Florida—Again

    • June 21, 2023
    • Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Magazine.

    • Officials issued a quarantine to control the invasive species, which devours vegetation, damages structures and can carry a parasite dangerous to humans. The invasive giant African land snail—one of the most damaging snails in the world—has returned to Florida for the third time in the state’s history. Florida's Broward county giant African land snail quarantine prohibits people in the 3.5-square-mile area from moving the giant African land snails, and they also must not transport certain plants, soil, compost and yard debris that could contain snails or their eggs.

    • Post Date
      Aug 16, 2023
  • How Swaths of Invasive Grass Made Maui’s Fires So Devastating

    • Aug 15, 2023
    • Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Magazine.

    • Scientists have long warned that Hawaii’s cover of nonnative shrubs is kindling waiting to burn.
      See also: Additional Invasive Species related articles

      Learn how the U.S. government is responding to the Hawaii wildfires affecting Maui and the Big Island.

    • Post Date
      Aug 16, 2023
  • New Law in 2023: An Act to Minimize the Propagation of Invasive Aquatic Plants [PDF, 231 KB]

    • Aug 2023
    • Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife.

    • To reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species in Maine, a law was passed by the Maine Legislature (effective June 16, 2023) that requires boaters to take specific actions to encourage water to drain from their watercraft prior to entering a water body or leaving a launch site. Aquatic invasive species are any fish, wildlife, or plant species that spreads to a water body where they do not naturally occur. These species are often transferred to new locations on watercraft, watercraft trailers, and other equipment associated with water recreation, and they impact the health of our waters, fish, and wildlife.

      See also: Help us Keep it Maine: Protect our Waters from Aquatic Invasive Species

    • Post Date
      Aug 16, 2023