Texas A&M Forest Service has reported that adult emerald ash borers (EAB, Agrilus planipennis) were collected in five new Texas counties in early May. These counties are Grayson, Hill, Hood, McLennan, and Palo Pinto. The identification of all specimens were verified as EAB by the USDA APHIS National Laboratory. The survey also verified the presence of EAB in four new areas of Dallas, including the Great Trinity Forest. This forest is over 6,000 acres and considered the largest urban Hardwood Forest in the U.S. The forest service believes that the spread of EAB into some of these areas is most likely due to human introduction via movement of ash wood material.

To monitor both healthy and unhealthy ash trees, the Texas A&M Forest Service deploys traps and conducts monitoring surveys across north, east, and central Texas during the spring and summer each year. With their effort, EAB has been positively confirmed in Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Marion, Morris, Parker, Rusk, Tarrant, Titus, and Wise counties. However, since the first report of EAB in Texas in 2016, it has been detected in additional 19 counties. Once the presence of EAB is confirmed in an area by the proper authorities, the Texas Department of Agriculture initiates a quarantine to prohibit the movement of any ash tree material with the intent to mitigate further spread.

**The following Counties are subject to EAB quarantine: Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Grayson, Harrison, Hill, Hood, Hopkins, Marion, Morris, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rusk, Tarrant, Titus, and Wise.

There is no way to completely stop the spread, but with early detection and community effort, loss can be minimized. Authorities strongly discourage the movement of firewood across county lines. Even if your area is not subject to quarantine. The spread of invasive pests and pathogens can be prevented if you remember to Buy it where you burn it (learn more here).

If you believe you have found an emerald ash borer or suspect an ash tree of being infested, please immediately Report It! here, and contact your local AgriLife Extension agent, Texas A&M Forest Service agent, and/or contact your city Arborist.

About the Emerald Ash Borer: EAB is metallic emerald-green with a cylindrical body about 1/2 inch long and 1/8 inch wide, with wings that come to a point. The top surface of the abdomen, under the elytra (hard shell) and wings, is bright coppery-red. No other North American species of Agrilus will present with this coloration. This is the simplest preliminary diagnostic character of an adult EAB. Other North American species of Agrilus will present with black, green, or blue abdominal colorations. EAB only feed on ash trees (Fraxinus species). Wood boring beetles or boring damage seen on other types of trees are not likely going to be this beetle. Females lay their eggs under bark crevices. Larvae form twisting galleries under the bark and feed only on living trees. These galleries disrupt the transport of water and nutrients which can kill an ash tree in 2-5 years. Galleries are filled with sawdust-like frass (insect poop). When larvae pupate and emerge as adults, they exit through the bark, creating a very distinctive “D” shaped exit hole about 1/8 inch in diameter. Infested trees usually show die-back from the top, splitting bark, sucker growth from the base, and/or extensive woodpecker damage.

Read the report: Emerald Ash Borer Moves South. TX A&M

The Call of the Infested Wild

Nature emits a symphony of sounds that occur within and beyond a range that humans can perceive. The environment radiates with a chorus of creature voices and movement. Echoed by the resonance of climate vs botanical beauty. All teetering on top of the rhythmical rumbling of geophysical fluctuations and settling. Whether these acoustics are transmitted through the air, water, or solid earth, and whether they are man-made or natural, a collection of these sounds through space and time makes up a ‘soundscape’.

A pilot study recently proposed a novel idea which utilized soundscapes, to ‘listen’ to how non-native plants effect and change the ecosystem as a whole. For research, soundscapes are typically used to observe an individual part or species of an ecosystem. Isolating, analyzing, listening, and observing an acoustic pattern across space and time that is hard to see. Quantifying and understanding the changes in soundscapes is also relatively new to soundscape research, but one of these changes is believed to be caused by the introduction of non-native species.

This pilot study included 66 locations; each assigned a recording device designed to pick up wildlife acoustics. Each recorder took 5-15min long recordings every hour for the length of the study. A lot of data was collected in a short period of time. They then compared the sounds from locations invaded by non-native plant species to those restored to their native state. They hypothesized that invasive or non-native species would change the way sound travels through the ecosystem/landscape. The team was able to distinguish differences. They propose invasive plants could be altering the soundscape in the following ways: increasing or reducing the richness/abundance of sound-making species, causing behavioral changes to sound-making species activity, or causing physical changes to the landscape that impacts how sound travels. This research is still in the early stages, but the team plans to continue their work by identifying gaps in current knowledge and refining methods.

Read the research: Barney et al., 2024

Don’t Mess With Texas Citrus

TISI is offering FREE diagnostic services if you suspect your citrus has either the psyllid pest or the Citrus Greening pathogen, or you would like your citrus plants to be part of our screening survey.

The Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri) and the Citrus Greening pathogen (Candidatus liberibacter asiaticus) are threatening citrus in multiple Texas counties. By taking samples and monitoring the spread, it is easier to ensure that you and your neighbors are not affected. This pest and pathogen are extremely detrimental to Texas citrus, both economically and agriculturally. The presence of either can greatly affect citrus yield.

If you are interested in having your citrus trees checked or being part of the survey, please contact invasives@shsu.edu. If you are located within 200 miles of our headquarters, we can collect samples and/or provide traps and monitoring services. Otherwise, we will send you easy step-by-step instructions so you can do it yourself. Not only will we share the results and management strategies (where applicable), but you will become part of a multi-county monitoring survey that is striving to improve the health of Texas citrus!

Also Available: TISI offers educational workshops that highlight information about the Asian citrus psyllid, the pathogen Citrus Greening, and what you need to look out for in your own backyard. If you are interested in this, TISI will provide trapping materials, assist with management strategies, and more. Don’t waste another second.
Help us stop the spread!

This program is designed to provide the education needed for professionals and students who are managing or learning to manage invasive species. The courses include the most current invasive species identification, control, and management techniques, and how to comply with local and federal regulations.

Participants may register and enroll at any time, and will receive a certificate of invasive species management from NAISMA upon completion of the program.

All live webinars are open to the public. Recorded webinars are available to members of NAISMA.

NAISMA 2024 Webinar Schedule:

• June 19, 1pm CST- Live Long and Prosper: Protecting Ash Trees and the Ash Resource from Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). REGISTER.
• July 17, 1pm CST- Chondria tumulosa impacts to coral reefs in Hawaii. REGISTER.
• August 21, 1pm CST- Dutch Elm Disease and Resistance. REGISTER.

Be part of a large-scale prairie and wetland restoration project! Volunteer to plant, pot, and perform other restoration activities such as the removal of invasive species using tools and other methods.

Prairie and Wetland Restoration, Sheldon Lake State Park, Houston, TX Every Tuesday: June 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th @ 8:00 am - 11:30 am

Click HERE for more information.

Insect Week is an annual celebration of the ‘little things that run the world’, dedicated to encouraging people of all ages to learn more about insects. Organized by the Royal Entomological Society and many partnering organizations. For learning resources, art workshops, activities, and discussion panels, visit insectweek.org.

June 24-30, 2024

Show outdoor enthusiasts how to stop spreading invasive plants and pests - while enjoying the great outdoors. The goal of the campaign is to show outdoor enthusiasts how to stop spreading invasive plants and pests - while enjoying the great outdoors. Dozens of free materials are available on this webpage to help you spread the word and Stop Invasive Species In Your Tracks™!

June 1, 2024 @ 8:00 am – June 8, 2024 @ 5:00 pm CDT

Play, Clean, Go Awareness Week

Invasive Spotlight:

Alligatorweed
(Alternanthera philoxeroides)

Alligatorweed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) is a rooted, floating invasive plant that forms dense mats along shorelines of shallow water ways, ditches, marshes, and ponds. Stems growing under the water are hollow and can be branched or single-stemmed. Leaves are elliptical or lance-shaped, growing up to 3/4 inch wide and 5 inches long with a prominent midrib. They grow on opposite sides of the stems and are non-succulent (does not store water in leaves). Soft, whitish hairs are found in the leaf axis. White flowers that resemble clovers occur in short, headlike spikes. A single seed develops within the fruit.

Alligatorweed forms thick stands that increase sedimentation, lower dissolved oxygen levels, and crowd out native aquatic vegetation. Concentrated mats can disrupt natural water flow, restrict irrigation, and cause flooding These weeds reproduce via stolons. Each node, or fragment with a node, can produce a new plant. The stolons can continue to grow and spread horizontally, taking root at various points as it grows and shoots up new plants at a rapid rate. Alligatorweed rarely grows deeper than 2 meters. They are capable of growth after being buried up to 1 foot deep. If all plant fragments and stolon are not completely removed, re-establishment and spread is likely.

Water willow (Justicia americana) and water smartweed (Polygonum amphibium) are sometimes confused for alligatorweed. However, water willow has flowers that are more orchid-like, with purple and white coloration, and usually has larger leaves, growing a minimum of 3 inches long. Water smartweed has pink flowers and alternating leaves.

Alligatorweed has been reported in Texas and is a TPWD prohibited Exotic Species. For more information, see the TexasInvasives.org species page. If you believe you have seen alligatorweed, please email a picture and location information to invasives@shsu.edu. We will review your report and get back to you as swiftly as possible. Citizen Scientists are often our first line of defense. We appreciate your diligence and dedication.

Get Involved Today!!

The Texas Invasive Species Institute (TISI) and The Texas Research Institute for Environmental Studies (TRIES) has many surveys and projects underway. These facilities strive to provide yearly invasive species presence and absence data to the authorities. Pre-screening is one of the first lines of defense in early detection.

With the aid of the public and citizen scientist, we could cover a much wider area, and gather more substantial amounts of data. When it comes to protecting our environment, there is an opportunity for everyone! Together we can make a difference, one research project at a time.

See how you can get involved by reading the projects listed below or see all the available projects on the Texas Invasives website HERE.
 

Enjoy monthly videos about invasive species and/or people willing to teach us more about them. There are some amazing citizens and professionals around the world that poke, prod, chase, dive, and investigate everything they can about these alien invaders. Jump into this cinematic rabbit hole. You never know what new wonders you may discover.

Should we kill invasive species to protect the environment? DW.

Feral hogs are wreaking havoc in Texas, and other regions around the world face similar problems with invasive species such as lionfish and red king crab. Is shooting invasive species and even serving them for dinner the best solution?

Texas forests threatened by spread of invasive beetle. Texas Standard.

Texas Standard interviews a regional forest health coordinator for the Texas A&M Forest Service, who discusses the impacts that emerald ash borer beetles have made in Texas and what we should look out for.

Webinar: using eDNA to detect invasive nonnative species. GB NNSS.

For Invasive Species Week, GB Non-native Species Secretariat hosted a webinar speaker from University of Hull to discuss her research on using eDNA to detect aquatic invasive non-native species.

That’s Not Baby’s Breath: The Cute and Highly Invasive Weed Taking Over Texas Yards
Hedge parsley (Torilis arvensis) and bastard cabbage (Rapistrum rugosum) are flowering invasive weeds that can be tough to eradicate. texasmonthly.com

Aquatic Weed Among 'World's Worst' Expands in Northeastern US
Northern hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillate) is considered one of the world’s worst aquatic weeds and new research shows that is quickly invading new waterbodies in the Northeastern U.S. cambridge.org

Students Say They've Found An 'Eco-Friendly' Way to Trap and Kill Japanese Beetles
Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) are an invasive pest that feeds on over 300 plant species. A student received support and funding for a new species-specific trap to attract and kill these beetles. phys.org

Study Explores Biology, Impact, Management and Potential Distribution of Destructive Longhorn Beetle
The invasive red-necked longhorn beetle (Aromia bungii) larval infestations are responsible for killing Prunus tree species, such as apricot, cherry, and plum. Current detection and monitoring rely upon identification of infested trees. cabi.org

Invasive Termites Dining in Our Homes Will Soon Be A Reality In Most Cities, Research Says
A new study reveals that as temperatures and climate patterns continue to shift, we will likely see the geographical distribution of invasive termites expand. The interconnectedness of human living, travel, and transport is the perfect breeding ground for termites. phys.org

Researcher Says Not Every Exotic Species Needs to Be Controlled
Some exotic species can become problematic when introduced to a new environment, such as the red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). But there are other non-native species that are not harmful and do not need to be controlled. phys.org

Wild Bees Are Under Threat from Domestic Bees, Invasive Species, Pathogens, And Climate Change - But We Can Help
There are several contributing factors responsible for the decline of wild bees. Many wild bee species are solitary and specialized, making them rare. theconversation.com

Study Finds Fewer Invasive Alien Species on Lands of Indigenous Peoples
Thousands of plant and animal species can be found in regions outside their native range because of human introduction but a recent study has found these numbers are lower in areas populated by Indigenous Peoples. phys.org

Freshwater Mussels: Investigating The Remarkable Reproductive Cycle of Michigan’s Threatened Mollusks
Michigan freshwater mussels are at risk due to many factors, such as competition from invasive zebra (Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga mussels (D. bugensis), water pollution, and dams. news.umich.edu

Combating Invasive Species Globally with New Algorithm
A new computer algorithm was developed as a cost-effective approach to allocating resources across various locations, crucial for protecting ecosystems, agriculture, and public health from the damaging impacts of invasive species. phys.org

Invaders of Texas workshops train volunteers to detect and report invasive species as citizen scientists. Workshops, which are free, are designed to introduce participants to invasive species and the problems they cause, cover aspects of invasive species management, teach identification of local invasive plants, and train participants to report invasive plants using the TX Invaders mobile application. The workshop is 7 hours long (usually on a Saturday, but scheduling is arranged with each individual host group). The workshop satisfies Master Naturalist training requirements.

Sentinel Pest Network workshops serve to increase the awareness and early detection of a set of particularly important invasive species to help prevent their spread into Texas or their further spread within Texas. Participants learn to identify species such as the Emerald Ash Borer, Cactus Moth, Asian Longhorned Beetle, and other pests of regulatory significance, and to report them. The workshop is 3.5 hours long. The workshop satisfies Master Naturalist training requirements.