A history of forest and shade tree pest management in Massachusetts

116 Pages·1998·6.8 MB·English

by  Leonard, David E

Managemen
and Shade Tree Pest
Massachusetts
in
by David Leonard and Charles M. Burnham
E.
UMASS/AMHERST
inn111iii
BlEDbb D270 137T M
Massachusetts Department
ofEnvironmental Management

A
History of Forest and Shade Tree Pest
Management In Massachusetts
By
David E. Leonard
and
Charles M. Burnhm
Publication funds provided by the U. S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service.
July 1998

PREFACE
We
have attempted herein to describe the history offor-
est pest problems and summarize efforts ofthe Commonwealth
to combat them. We devote much ofthe report to gypsy moth;
necessarily so, since it is the insect that compelled Massachu-
setts in 1890 to conduct the largest attempt undertaken to ex-
When
terminate a foreign insect pest. the extermination pro-
gram failed, a massive effort to control and contain the spread
ofthe gypsy moth continued, with assistance by the U.S. De-
partment of Agriculture. Included in these efforts was the
largest attempt undertaken to import parasites, predators, and
pathogens from Europe and Asia.
When the browntail moth appeared in Massachusetts in
the 1890's efforts to contain it were meshed with the gypsy
moth program, since both insects share similar habits and host
preferences. For several decades the browntail moth was as
serious a pest as the gypsy moth, but it now occurs only on the
tip of Cape Cod and on Plum Island in Newbury.
Cost for control of gypsy moth exceeds that spent for
any other pest offorest and shade trees. Periodic outbreaks of
gypsy moth have defoliated areas of Massachusetts for more
than 125 years, including nearly three million acres in 1981.
5
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
Chapter 1. Introduction 1
Exotic Pests 2
State Agencies Responsible for Forest Pest Management 3
Chapter 2. The Gypsy and Browntail Moths Arrive in Massachusetts 5
Chapter 3. Life Histories ofGypsy and Browntail Moths 7
Life History ofthe Gypsy Moth 8
Life History ofthe Browntail Moth 10
Chapter 4. Early Histories ofthe Gypsy and Browntail Moths in
Massachusetts 13
Early Experiences with the Gypsy Moth... 14
The Massachusetts Program to Exterminate the Gypsy Moth . 1
Appearance ofthe Browntail Moth, 1897 23
Efforts Combined as Moths Program 25
Hiatus in Moths Program, 1900-1904 28
Chapter 5. Re-birth ofthe Moths Program 29
1905-1910 30
1911-1920 33
1921-1930 36
1931-1940 37
DDT
Chapter 6. Moths Program and Advent of 40
1941-1950 41
1951-1960 43
1961-1970 44
Chapter 7. Moths Program and Research 46
1971-1980 47
1981-1990 49
Chapter 8. Fungus Disease Appears and Current Status
of Gypsy and Browntail Moths 54
Epizootics of Gypsy Moth Fungus Disease 55
n
Status ofGypsy and Browntail Moths in Massachusetts 55
Focus ofthe National Gypsy Moth Program 57
Chapter 9. Biological Control ofGypsy and Browntail Moths 58
Origin ofProgram 59
Pathogen 60
Parasites 61
Predators 62
Birds 64
Chapter 10. Oak LeafComplex 65
Oak LeafTier 66
Oak LeafRoller 68
Oak Leaf Skeletonizer 68
Chapter Other Pests ofDeciduous Trees 70
11.
Beech Scale-Nectria 71
Eastern Tent Caterpillar 71
Saddled Prominent 72
Webworm
Fall 73
Spring and Fall Cankerworms 73
PearThrips 74
Satin Moth 75
.
Elm LeafBeetle 76
Asian Long-Horned Beetle 76
Chapter 12. Incidental Pests ofDeciduous Trees 78
Buck Moth 79
Cherry Scallop Shell Moth 79
Cottony Maple Scale 79
Gouty Oak Gall 79
Green-Striped Mapleworm 80
Leopard moth 80
Linden Looper 80
Maple Petiole Borer 80
Oriental Moth 80
iii
1
Periodical Cicada 81
Red-Humped Oakworm 81
San Jose Scale 82
Chapter 13. Insects Attacking Conifers 83
Pine Looper 84
Hemlock Loopers 84
Hemlock Wooly Adelgid 85
Nantucket Pine Tip Moth 87
White Pine Weevil 87
Larch Sawfly 88
Pine Needle Miner 88
Chapter 14. Incidental Pests ofConifers 89
Arbrorvitae LeafMiner 90
Black Turpentine Beetle 90
Hemlock LeafMiner 90
Red Pine Sawfly 90
Chapter 15. Major Tree Diseases 91
Dutch Elm Disease 92
Chestnut Blight Fungus 93
White Pine Blister Rust 93
Suggested References 95
Acknowledgments 96
Dedication 96
Authors' Profiles 97
Appendix
1.
Gypsy Moth Defoliation, 1924-1997 98
Appendix
2.
Introduced Parasites and Predator 99
List of Figures
1. Life Stages ofthe Gypsy Moth 9
2. Life Stages ofthe Browntail Moth 1
3. Barrel Sprayer 20
iv
4. Early Spread of the Browntail Moth 21
5. Clipping ofBrowntail Moth Webs 22
6. Horse-Drawn Sprayer 31
7. Spread ofGypsy Moth in 1981 50
Calosoma sycophanta
8.
an Introduced Predator 63
9. Spread ofHemlock Woolly Adelgid 86
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2012 with funding from
Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries
http://archive.org/details/historyofforestsOOIeon