Hot off the Press… The Forest Health Conditions in Alaska- 2016.
The annual forest health conditions report provided by Forest Service R10, Alaska Region is available online (see link to pdf below). The conditions report contains, but is not limited to, information pertaining to forest insects in the state.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd533099.pdf
Presentations and audio from the 10th annual meeting are now available via the links below.
Willow rose cecids via Lifescanner
Matt Bowser, USFWS Kenai National Wildlife Refuge (audio, lyrics & chords)
Alaska Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey – 2016 field season
Jacque Schade, Alaska Department of Natural Resources (audio)
Lepidoptera highlights of 2016 at UAM
Kathryn Daly, Derek Sikes, Jayce Williamson, & Renee Nowicki, UAM, UAF (audio)
Phylogeny and revision of the rove beetle genus Phlaeopterus
Logan Mullen, UAF, UAM
2016 Forest health conditions and key insect species in Alaska
Stephen Burr and FHP Staff, FHP, USFS (audio)
2016 Forest insect impacts in Southcentral Alaska
Jason Moan, Alaska Division of Forestry (audio)
Entomology in Alaska’s national parks: centennial year BioBlitzes
Derek Sikes, UAM, UAF (audio)
Leafminers in Alaskan birch – Stephen Burr, USDA, Forest Service, Forest Health Protection
Asian gypsy moth detection and response in the Pacific Northwest, 2015 and 2016 – Clinton Campbell, USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, and Timothy B. St. Germain, Plant Protection and Quarantine
Ticks parasitizing dogs, cats, humans and wild vertebrates in Alaska: invasion potential – Kimberlee Beckmen, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation.
The April 2016 issue of the Newsletter of the Alaska Entomological Society is available via the link below.
The article appeared in the Peninsula Clarion on April 16.
http://peninsulaclarion.com/news/2016-04-16/invasive-aphids-found-around-kachemak-bay
US Forest Service Forest Health Protection is currently advertising three seasonal technician positions at two grade levels in Juneau, Anchorage and Fairbanks on USAJobs. This is an exciting opportunity for anyone interested in entomology and/or enjoys working in the field! The positions are only open until Thursday, Feb 4th:
GS4 level: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/427778900
GS5 level: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/427786100
Bill Davidson, a U. S. Forest Service Student Trainee for Forest Health Protection this summer managed to capture a few great videos of one of our native horntails. While in Cooper Landing this summer Bill found Urocerus flavicornis in action on spruce logs that were cut as part of a fire wise program. Also known as a wood wasp, U. flavicornis is a wood borer that can typically be found on stressed, dying and dead spruce trees in Alaska. It is also commonly found in association with cut wood and saw logs. Although this insect looks menacing, it is completely harmless to humans.
Emergence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=078tCtrfQiU
Oviposition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYfjFOAQcyo
More information on Urocerus flavicornis and other wood wasps and horn tails can be found in these places:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5315942.pdf
http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/pdfs/GuideSiricidWoodwasps.pdf
Global climate models from Germany (green), Canada (red) and USA (black) scaled to the Kenai predict that post-2030 mean summer temperatures will always be above the threshold for spruce bark beetle outbreaks. Observed temperatures are from the Homer airport since 1932. Lower bar graph shows annual beetle-kill for southern Kenai since aerial surveys began in 1971 (US Forest Service). Ed Berg graphic.
The article (URI below) appeared in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge’s Refuge Notebook series.