Long horn eucalyptus beetle

[jefflovstrom]

There are literally millions of dead red gum eucs in SoCal right now.

These once healthy and robust eucs were hit hard by three separate insects.

First about 15 years ago it was the eucalyptus longhorn borer or ELHB.

Then about 8 years ago the Lerp Psyllid.

And for the last 2-3 years, it's the bloody Tortoise Shell Beetle eating the leaves right off what's left of these poor beaten down redgums!

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74104.html

1.......2.......3..........you're out!

Rough days for certain eucs in SoCal of late.

jomoco

Yup! Until we get the natural predators of these beasts imported from down under!
Jeff

 

[jomoco]

The insect world is fascinating and very sci-fi, in that you can have a beautiful benign ladybug(Dr. Jekyll) tooling about in one tree, looking prim and proper, and in the next tree an ugly mishapen tortoise shell beetle(Mr. Hyde) actually running up your arm and biting you in the neck!


And it hurts!

jomoco

 

[jefflovstrom]

You funny and witty bastard! I got it!
Jeff, my sunburned head is on fire!

 

[MCW]

It would be a economic disaster I think if they started attacking other high value trees here such as fruit trees. I find it interesting how through out the world climate change is affecting things in subtle(and not so subtle ways)ways.
I am vary interested in this pest and appreciate any and all information Thanks. Beast
Note:I opened the second PDF and there they are, that's our Phoracantha semipunctata. The first PDR was mostly about the Acalolepta mixtus a species we Thankfully don't have yet.
I like hearing from you Aussies about the impact this bug is having. Kind of gives us in the U.S. a heads up of whats to come.

No worries mate. I always enjoy the Northern Hemisphere perspective too. Basically healthy trees here are doing fine. The biggest problem in my area is drought and associated water restrictions, meaning you can actually get fined for watering your lawn and trees although these restrictions have eased somewhat. Unfortunately the stressed eucs are the ones that have been copping a pasting both natural and domestic. If I remember I'll post some pics of the trees at my parent's house. It's like they've been hit with a shotgun loaded with buckshot. The larvae have gone deep into the heartwood too making these trees quite dangerous.

Then about 8 years ago the Lerp Psyllid.

And for the last 2-3 years, it's the bloody Tortoise Shell Beetle eating the leaves right off what's left of these poor beaten down redgums!

jomoco

Good old Lerps. You can actually eat their sugary protective coating Tastes like crap though when I've tried them
I've never heard of the Tortoise Shell Beetle. They sound nasty.

Yup! Until we get the natural predators of these beasts imported from down under!
Jeff

Good luck unfortunately. The main area where Longicorn Beetles are taken seriously is in forestry. Others may know better but timed aerial insecticide applications probably negate the need to investigate biological control. I doubt much work has been done on biological control of these beetles but could be wrong. Unfortunately most of the damage is being done (as far as I know) to both naturally occurring trees and domestic trees.

 

[mikewhite85]

I saw this in a Canary Island Pine today... The tree seemed pretty healthy itself but I did find a number of small burrows about halfway up the tree. I could tell that some of these has translucent eggs inside. Are these bark beetles? What can be done about them?

 

[mikewhite85]

I saw this in a Canary Island Pine today... The tree seemed pretty healthy itself but I did find a number of small burrows about halfway up the tree. I could tell that some of these has translucent eggs inside. Are these bark beetles? What can be done about them?

woops. here is the picture

 

[MCW]

Have attached some of the associated tree damage and tree dieback that is being seen in my area of Australia due to Longicorn attack.

Images below are of a Eucalypt known as the Tuart. This is on my in-law's farm and I have already had to drop a couple of these trees. The remaining two will have to go soon as well.

And at my parent's house on a couple of unknown Eucalypt species...

 

[MCW]

And images of the entry points of where these bastards are getting in. Always where limbs join the main trunk, in pre existing damage, or in species that have rough/cracked bark (like the Tuarts above)...

And some close ups of the Tuart trees. Note the frass and tunnelling under the bark (sorry about image quality as all photos were taken on my phone)...

 

[beastmaster]

I saw this in a Canary Island Pine today... The tree seemed pretty healthy itself but I did find a number of small burrows about halfway up the tree. I could tell that some of these has translucent eggs inside. Are these bark beetles? What can be done about them?

Mike I don't think thats bark beetles. It kind of looks like woodpeckers. Of course they are eating something in the trees. When the beetle enters the tree the tree trys to push them out with sap. You have pitch tubes.
After the beetle enters a tree and lays its eggs ,they go through two stages (pupa and larva) then eat their way out as adults after laying more eggs.. These exit hole are pretty small but you can see them if you look closely.

 

[mikewhite85]

Thanks, Beast. I am glad to hear that.

So you think what appeared to be translucent eggs were actually small beads of sap? I will ask my client if he has heard any wood peckers up there.

 

[beastmaster]

Those woodpeckers were eating something in that tree, possibly could be beetles. Canary island pine are resistant to bark beetle attract more then most pines, with that being said, were seeing more and more canaries dieing from beetles.
In the last several years two new beetles have been found in our area(So.Calif.) The Mediterranean and the red haired beetle and they attack Canary islands pine along with stone pines and Aleppo pines with lots of vigor.
Close inspection of pines starting from the root flair on up to the top, looking for pitch tubes, frass( fine sawdust),exit holes(cutting into the bark with an axe can help you see the tiny pin holes) and sap dripping down from branch collars are signs to look for.
If a tree is infested even if it looks healthy I think its best to remove it(not always a popular choice) to save surrounding trees. Handling of infected wood its important to follow guidelines recommended by CDF.( You often see a Bunch of dead pines near wood yards)
The most important defense against beetles is to keep the trees healthy with deep watering during the hottest months and not to make any cuts on them tell the weather cools way down in winter. Take care.

 

[beastmaster]

Those woodpeckers were eating something in that tree, possibly could be beetles. Canary island pine are resistant to bark beetle attract more then most pines, with that being said, were seeing more and more canaries dieing from beetles.
In the last several years two new beetles have been found in our area(So.Calif.) The Mediterranean and the red haired beetle and they attack Canary islands pine along with stone pines and Aleppo pines with lots of vigor.
Close inspection of pines starting from the root flair on up to the top, looking for pitch tubes, frass( fine sawdust),exit holes(cutting into the bark with an axe can help you see the tiny pin holes) and sap dripping down from branch collars are signs to look for.
If a tree is infested even if it looks healthy I think its best to remove it(not always a popular choice) to save surrounding trees. Handling of infected wood its important to follow guidelines recommended by CDF.( You often see a Bunch of dead pines near wood yards)
The most important defense against beetles is to keep the trees healthy with deep watering during the hottest months and not to make any cuts on them tell the weather cools way down in winter. Take care.