[MAIPC] FW: What is latest on biocontrol for Ailanthus?

[Richard Gardner]

 Why not take the time to look at the obvious where there is research by Jay Stipes, Mark Schall, Matt Kasson and myself - Atteva aurea, Fusarium oxysporum and Verticillium albo-atrum, along with the mite Aculops ailanthii? Then there is Fusarium lateritium, a canker causing fungi. The Spotted Lanternfly may also be doing some damage although from what I saw yesterday on trees in their third year of infestation it may not be killing the trees.
Euwallacea validus is an affect not a cause. Once an Ailanthus tree is weakened  by disease or herbicide, the beetle takes advantage of its compromised state. I accidently found this out by using "Drill and Fill" to kill Ailanthus trees. There was no evidence of Euwallacea until after I attacked the trees.

As far as the Spotted Lanternfly, it will spread across the country feeding primarily on Ailanthus and Vitae spp.. It is far from the hysteria that Penn State puts out and is no Armageddon. It has been adapting to human environments since the first field was cut for a crop in China. It likes open spaces and edges, basically human environments, not closed spaces like forests. About 2 weeks after becoming an adult it has wanderlust and spreads across the environment. As nymphs its ability to spread is very limited. (I do not bother killing any SLF unless it is in our house. Then a shot of isopropanol from a spray bottle kills them.)
As soon as our new Jeep arrives I will try to get photos of SLF on Blue Marsh Lake. A few years ago about this time we were on the water and saw that it tried to cross the lake by the thousands and drowned by the thousands. They take a leap and since they are hoppers, not flyers, they fall into the lake before making the other side. (I need the Jeep to transport the canoe.)
There are no magic bullets which will control Ailanthus or anything else. My research and experience says that a system involving multiple organisms over extended periods of time is the answer. For Ailanthus I suggest planting three seasons of native wildflowers, especially Asteraceae, to attract Atteva aurea. It is native, having evolved on Simaroubaceae in the southern parts of this country. The multivoltine larvae are specific to Ailanthus locally and destructive. My grad research indicated that they spread pathogenic fungi to the Ailanthus trees such as the Fusarium and Verticillium. There is also the strong probability that adult Atteva aurea females while looking for egg laying sites phoretically spread Aculops ailanthii between Ailanthus trees. I am not certain but think that the mite may also spread pathogens.


                                                   Richard Gardner
    On Friday, August 20, 2021, 11:27:09 PM EDT, Marc Imlay <ialm at erols.com> wrote:  
 
 
What is latest on biocontrol for Ailanthus? 

  

From: Jil Swearingen <jilswearingen at gmail.com> 
Sent: Friday, August 20, 2021 6:11 PM
To: Marc Imlay <ialm at erols.com>
Subject: What is latest on biocontrol for Ailanthus?

  

Hi Marc,


  

I have these two different paragraphs on Ailanthus biocontrol. Can you help get the most current info? I'm updating it in the 6th ed of Plant Invaders book. I need this asap. We're aiming to be done by Aug 31.

  

Biological Control-- 

A native soil-borne vascular wilt fungus (Verticillium nonalfalfae) and an Asian weevil (Eucryptorrhyncus brandti) are being studied for potential biological control. The Ailanthus webworm (Atteva punctella) is native from Central America to Florida, occurs in our area and may offer some assistance as a biocontrol.   

Several fungal pathogens are being investigated as potential agents for biological control for tree-of-heaven. Two of these, Verticillium dahliae and Fusarium oxysporum, have been isolated from dead and dying Ailanthus trees in New York and in southern and western Virginia. Another fungal pathogen, Verticillium albo-atrum, was recently confirmed using inoculations in the lab and on canopy field trees to be the cause of Ailanthus wilt disease that killed more than 8,000 trees in south-central Pennsylvania since 2002. Research and testing are on-going and none are available at this time.

Thanks very much!

  

Jil

  

  

  

Jil Swearingen

In the Weeds Consulting

410-200-7085

https://in-the-weeds.com/

Secretary, Maryland Native Plant Society

Board, Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council

Board, Washington Biologists Field Club



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