1999
Entomology Project Report - WSDA PUB 034 (N/1/00)Laboratory Services Division, Pest Program
Washington State Department of Agriculture
1999 Western Washington Exotic Defoliator Parasitoid Survey
Eric H.
LaGasa 1
Chief
Entomologist - Washington State Department of Agriculture, Olympia, Washington
98504-2560, Todd A. Murray 2
Research
Entomologist - Washington State University, Vancouver Research and Extension
Center, Vancouver, WA 98665-9752, Mark Hitchcox 3
Entomology
Technicians (Project positions) - Washington State Department of Agriculture,
Olympia, Washington 98504-2560, and Amberlynn Pauley-Cawley
3
Parisitoid Species Identified and Host Records
Background
In recent years, insect surveys conducted by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) and funded by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) program have detected a number of exotic species of defoliating moth pests (Lepidoptera) in Western Washington State. Several of the exotic species finds represent first record of the pest in the United States, having migrated into Washington from adjacent areas of British Columbia, Canada, where they were likely first introduced into North America. In one case, the exotic pest detection was the first record for the species in North America.
Most of the new exotic pests were likely introduced into the region within the last 20 to 40 years and are now unfortunately well established here. Some may eventually impact diverse northwest economic and environmental interests, including commercial nurseries, row crops, fruit tree production, private and commercial landscape management, and industries which rely on healthy native plant communities such as timber and tourism. For almost all of the exotic newcomers, their modes of entry into North America are unknown.
Exotic plant pests found in Washington State since 1985, year found, and detection status include:
| apple ermine moth (Yponomeuta malinellus Zeller) | - 1985, New to United States |
| apple tortrix (Archips fuscocupreanus Walsingham) | - 1995, New to North America |
| apple skeletonizer (Swammerdamia pellicaria (Retz.) | - 1994, New to United States |
| barred fruit tree tortrix (Pandemis cerasana (Hubner)) | - 1994, New to United States |
| cherry bark tortrix (Enarmonia formosana Scopoli) | - 1991, New to United States |
| cherry ermine moth (Yponomeuta padellus L.) | - 1993, New to United States |
| dark fruit tree tortrix (Pandemis heparana (D & Schif)) | - 1994, New to United States |
| European emerald (Hemithea aestivaria (Hubner)) | - 1995, New to United States |
| 'golden' leaf roller (Croesia holmiana (L.)) | - 1994, New to United States |
| green budworm (Hedya nubiferana (Haworth)) | - 1994, New to Western U.S. |
| green pug moth (Chloroclystis rectangulata (L.)) | - 1994, New to Western U.S. |
| lesser budmoth (Recurvaria nanella (Hübner)) | - 1994, New to Western U.S. |
| oak skeletonizer (Carcina quercana (Fabricius)) | - 1997, New to United States |
| rose shoot borer (Notocelia rosacolana Doubleday) | - 1996, New to United States |
| straw-colored tortrix (Clepsis spectrana (Treitschke)) | - 1998, New to United States |
Many of these new species were reared to adult from field collected larvae during several CAPS surveys and any parasitoids present were kept for future analysis. This survey is largely an analysis of that compiled parasitoid material. Parasitoid predation is a key factor in determining whether introduced exotic species become significant economic pests here.
1999 Project Objectives
- Identify parasitoids reared from identified exotic defoliator larvae.
- Summarize parasitoid/host
associations and determine parasitoid prevalence (e.g. percent parasitism
observed).
Inquiries regarding availability of this publication in alternative formats shold be directed to the WSDA Receptionist at (360) 902-1976 or Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (360) 902-1996.