2018 Insect Report UTAH DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PLANT INDUSTRY AND CONSERVATION EUROPEAN CORN BORER Ostrinia nubilalis (Hü b n e r ) 1 MORMON CRICKET - VELVET LONGHORNED BEETLE - EMERALD ASH BORER N U N M O T H - JAPANESE BEETLE - PINE SHOOT BEETLE - APPLE MAGGOT GYPSY MOTH - PLUM CURCULIO - CHERRY FRUIT FLY - LARGE PINE WEEVIL LIGHT BROWN APPLE MOTH - ROSY GYPSY MOTH - EUROPEAN HONEY BEE BLACK FIR SAWYER - GRASSHOPPER - MEDITERRANEAN PINE ENGRAVER SIX - TOOTHED BARK BEETLE - N UN M O TH - EUROPEAN GRAPEVINE MOTH Program Contributors and Partners USDA Animal and Plant USDA Forest Service Health Inspection Service Forest Health Protection DHS Customs and Utah Nursery and Utah State University Border Protection Landscape Association Plant Pest Diagnostics Lab UTAH WEED USDA CENTER FOR PLANT UTAH STATE CONTROL ASSOCIATION HEALTH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY HORTICULTURE ASSOCIATION The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food Insect Program thanks all program contributors and partners. i 1. Message from the Manager Insect Program Manager Kristopher Watson discusses how UDAF protects agriculture and improves Utah’s quality of life. 2. The Utah Apiary Program State and county governments collaborate to protect honey bees from diseases, pests and abiotic threats. 5. The Orchard Sentinel Survey The Insect Program monitors for invasive and native pests in Utah’s multi-million dollar fruit industry. 7. Keeping Utah Free from Japanese Beetle Eradication was declared in Utah, yet reintroduction remains an ongoing concern and monitoring continues. 9. Asian Defoliator Survey Monitoring efforts focus attention on close relatives of European gypsy moth, which are not known to be established in the U.S. 10. Grasshopper and Mormon Cricket Suppression State and federal governments partner with private landowners to control rangeland pests. 11. Getting to Know the Velvet Longhorned Beetle State and federal agricultural authorities continue to learn more about this recently introduced invasive pest. 13. Wood Boring Beetle Survey Invasive beetles have the potential to put further stress on forest health. 14. Emergency Preparedness Multiple agencies prepare for invasive insect threats by practicing the Incident Command System (ICS) in a full-scale exercise. 15. Keeping an Eye on European Gypsy Moth A 30 year project to keep an invasive moth out of Utah is successful. 17. European Corn Borer Utah’s quarantine continues to protect the state’s corn growers. 18. Entomology Lab The UDAF insect lab utilizes expert staff and the latest in technology to support the Insect Program’s goals. 19. Emerald Ash Borer: The Green Menace Utah prepares for first contact with this destructive exotic pest. 21. Nursery Program Update State inspectors protect the nursery, forestry and horticultural industries and environmental quality. 22. Insect Program Crew Photo 23. Plant Industry Contacts 24. Citations ii UDAF INSECT REPORT — 2 0 1 8 Insect Program Manager Kristopher Watson discusses how UDAF protects agriculture and improves Utah’s quality of life. n behalf of the Utah Depart- diagnostics and giving technical assistance and species. While many insects are bene- ment of Agriculture and Food on how to obtain antibiotics under recent- ficial and we support pollinators, invasive (UDAF) Plant Industry’s Insect ly enacted federal regulations. The honey pest infestations can be devastating to Program, thank you to all the industry is growing amongst hobbyist and agriculture as well as our environment. Ofarmers, ranchers and constituents of the sideline beekeepers and it remains ex- UDAF has been addressing insect issues great state of Utah that support and pro- tremely important to the beehive state to since pioneer agriculture began here in tect our agricultural and natural resources maintain a healthy and robust apiary in- Utah, over 160 years ago. With your help from invasive and endemic agriculture dustry. Thank you to all the county inspec- and support, we have managed to find pests. UDAF has been delegated the ex- tors that help to make this program a suc- small populations of new invasive pests tremely difficult task of controlling and cess. (such as Japanese beetle and gypsy moth) eradicating pests that threaten our natural I cannot thank our staff enough as they and prevented establishment before they resources and food supply. In 2018, Utah continue to work hard to help protect, impact our state for generations to come. saw a significant increase in grasshopper monitor and control invasive pests and The importance of early detection and populations, honey bee disease and diseases in an effort to maintain a com- rapid response is critical to the success of nursery quarantine related issues. petitive market, minimize losses and pro- future projects and the viability to agricul- Endemic rangeland pests are an ongoing tect the future of agriculture here in the ture in the state of Utah. problem in the West, and Utah is no ex- state. Our Insect Program staff, which in- As we are challenged by new invasive ception. Fortunately for the past several cludes agriculture inspectors and seasonal pests moving forward, I give you my com- years we have seen moderate to low pop- staff, placed, checked and retrieved over mitment, as well as that of the Insect Pro- ulations of grasshoppers, however in 2018 5,000 detection traps for over 20 different gram staff, to do our very best to protect we saw a 50% increase of infested acres. invasive pest species. Invasive pests and the social, environmental and economic UDAF continues to assist in suppressing diseases are moving around the world at integrity of Utah. With your help, we will populations of rangeland pests on both an alarming rate, due to the growth of continue to protect the state’s agricultural state and private lands as cyclical popula- commerce and world-wide trade. These industries, food supply and our quality of tions of these problematic insects are on developments have created new path- life from endemic and invasive species for the rise. ways for pest introduction that have never years to come. been seen before. Additional changes in The Apiary Program staff has been ex- monoculture farming, weather patterns It comes with my deepest respect, in tremely busy, as 2018 brought a high rate and climate all contribute to agriculture which I say, thank you! of American foulbrood, a contagious and losses and threaten our resource needs. deadly bee disease. Our staff and county Agricultural pests have the potential to Kristopher Watson inspectors have been helping the apiary impact U.S food crops much like a natural industry adjust to the new FDA Veterinari- State Entomologist disaster, with annual losses estimated to an Feed Directive by providing disease be between 20-25% depending on host 1 UDAF INSECT REPORT — 2 0 1 8 State and county governments collaborate to protect honey bees from diseases, pests and abiotic threats. For more than 125 years the state of Utah prevalence of both diseases in has cooperated with county governments 2018 (see “Honey Bees and Anti- to protect the health of honey bees Apis biotics” section on page four). mellifera (Linnaeus) through inspection of Varroa mite Varroa destructor managed operations. Identifying the nu- (Anderson and Trueman) para- merous diseases, parasites and other mal- sitism and a condition associated adies that affect Utah’s honey bee colo- with this pest known as parasitic nies is just as important today as it was mite syndrome (PMS), was also over a century ago when the program up compared to previous years. began. Utah’s cooperative bee program The parasite is particularly severe allows county governments to appoint an in the months of August through inspector upon the petition of five bee- October; this is having an inten- keepers; it permits the state to hire in- sively negative effect on the spectors as well. These coordinated state’s colonies. The invasive bee efforts help safeguard the approximately pest small hive beetle (SHB) Ae- 37,000 beehives that call Utah home and thina tumida (Murray) was also protect an industry estimated to be worth detected for the first time in Mil- between $20-30 million dollars a year. lard County in 2018, adding to previous findings in Washington 2018 was a productive year for both state and Davis counties in 2016 and and county inspectors. In total they visit- 2017 respectively. Due in large Figure 1. State inspector Stephen Stanko takes ed more than 300 operations throughout part to Utah’s dry climate, SHB is a sample of dead brood to test for pathogens. the state and inspected approximately unlikely to be a major problem 4,500 individual hives. Unfortunately, for Utah beekeepers, as the pest thrives in It should be noted however, that the rates of major disease and pest issues humid environments. However, individual problems in beekeeping are not strictly spiked in 2018. Of particular concern beekeepers may experience occasional disease and pest related. Over the past were increases in American foulbrood outbreaks and vigilance is needed to avoid five years there has been a concerning (Paenibacillus economic trend of increased theft and vandalism of larvae) and Euro- Of particular concern [in 2018] were increases impact. hives in Utah. In order to better under- pean foulbrood in American foulbrood and European foulbrood Beekeep- stand this problem, UDAF will begin re- (Melissococcus diseases. The prevalence of both pathogens ers who cording all reported instances of theft and plutonius) dis- has been relatively low in recent years. suspect vandalism in 2019. There is also concern eases. The prev- that SHB may be in their hives are asked about the impact of pesticides on the alence of both pathogens has been rela- to contact UDAF. In light of these overall health of bees; therefore the state has tively low in recent years. However, new also been active in promoting best practic- inspection results, pest and disease issues changes in federal regulations of antibiotic es of pesticide use to avoid bee poison- are likely to be a major issue for Utah’s use likely contributed to the increased ings, as outlined in the next page.