Resources from UMass Extension and the Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment: ag.umass.edu/coronavirus, Pest: Dogwood Borer (Synanthedon scitula (Harris)). Larvae feed in the inner bark area and damage the vascular system. Females lay eggs on or near burr knots, which are aggregations of partially developed root initials that usually occur in clusters at or below the graft union. Small trees or branches may be girdled. Spores are spread by wind to surrounding dogwoo… However, if larvae feed under the bark itself, the tree can become girdled and die. It is also an important pest of many other ornamental, fruit, and nut trees. Dogwood borer adults are clearwing moths that look like a wasp. All surfaces of the lower trunk and burr knots need to be wetted thoroughly in order for insecticide applications to be effective. For that reason, if you have dogwoods in your yard, be careful that you don't injure the trees with a string trimmer or mower. If you have any natural areas around your property, plant your pink dogwood off to the side to make it really stand out. The Dogwood Tree Borer’s name is a study in confusion. Dogwood borer: Order: Lepidoptera: Family: Sesiidae: Scientific Name: Synanthedon scitula (Harris) 0 This site is maintained by Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment in the College of Natural Sciences. Adults can be present from July to September. Hostas are a perfect complement to your dogwood tree because these shade loving perennials perform well planted in large clusters underneath. Dogwood borer larvae develop in shallow tunnels in burr knots on dwarfing and semi-dwarfing rootstocks at or below the graft union. commitment to diversity. N.C. Specific pheromone traps are available and can help to pinpoint the exact time of adult flight and egg-laying activity. Synanthedon scitula, the dogwood borer or pecan borer, is a major pest of many plants including the dogwood and pecan. Pupae are brown and about 1/2 inch (12.5mm) long. Pheromone traps can be used to monitor adult emergence. The dogwood borer ( Synanthedon scitula; DWB) is a small clearwing moth native to eastern North America. 2 Dogwood borer. ©2020 University of Massachusetts Amherst • Site Policies, Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment, Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment. Read our Photos. Despite its common name, its larvae have catholic tastes and are at home on a variety of woody plants including plum, viburnum, willow, mulberry, elm, laurel, dogwood, fruit trees, and blueberry. Adult is bluish-black with yellow bands and clear wings, resembling a wasp. Receive Email Notifications for New Publications. ... such as anthracnose and dogwood borer. Dogwood trees are damaged by the feeding activity of the dogwood borer larva under the bark of the trunk and limbs. Insecticides should be timed to coincide with initial egg hatch in order to be effective. On average, about half of the trees in an orchard on dwarfi ng rootstock will have burrknots and about a third of those burrknots will be actively infested by dogwood borer larvae. Infected leaves exhibit marginal leaf scorch, dead patches, reddish discoloration, yellowing and premature defoliation. Repeated infestations can greatly diminish the health and aesthetic appearance of the host. Traps should be placed about 4 feet (1.2 meters) above the ground; traps placed much higher or lower are considerably less effective. Preventative sprays during the adult flight period are available with certain residual-action chemical pesticides but repeated applications are necessary and, given their persistence in the environment, are not recommended as a standard practice. This involves placing bark mulch around the base of the tree to suppress weed growth thus eliminating the need to bring mowers and line trimmers within close proximity of the trunk. Orders typically ship out within 2 business days. Primarily a pest of flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) but also may attack flowering cherry, apple, and various other deciduous hosts. Find more information at the following NC State Extension websites: N.C. James Solomon, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org. Dogwood borer occurs throughout New York state, as well as in other states. (The Malling and Malling-Merton series of rootstocks have a tendency to produce burr knots.) The dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula, one of about seven borers that attack dogwoods, is the most serious. Two of the most common are the flatheaded apple tree borer, which is the larva of a beetle, and the dogwood borer, which is the larva of a moth. Their flight activity continues into September. New growth is covered with a fine, white, powdery coating, typically on the upper surfaces of the leaves. DWB larvae strongly prefer to feed inside the bases of trunks and in burr knots. In more severe infestations, an application should be administered in late April and again in August or early September. They may take 13 to 22 months to c… It also attacks flowering cherry, chestnut, apple, mountain-ash, hickory, pecan, willow, birch, bayberry, oak, hazel, myrtle, and loquat. The larvae eat their way into the bark. Adults emerge about 25 days later and begin mating a short time afterwards. One symptom to watch out for is leaves that start to turn red in summer. Classic symptoms of infestation are: top die-back of the plant, adventitious growth along the trunk, main branches and from the base of the trunk. Adults may be found from May through September. In addition to water, fertilizer plays a key role in this. The insect has been very injurious to red-osier dogwood in Chicago parks (Forbes 1911). Dogwood borer. Entomopathogenic nematodes have proven to be at least as effective as chemicals and therefore, their use is highly recommended. There is ongoing research into the specific life cycle of DWB in the southeastern US, as it is currently unclear how many generations occur in the region and how populations can be best monitored and controlled. At times, golden pupal cases called exuviae may be seen protuding from the feeding site - a clear sign that adults have emerged, though old exuviae can remain on the tree for up to a year. Adults appear beginning around 250 growing degree days (mid-late May in Massachusetts) and continue into September. Once under the bark, chemical control is ineffective. pheromone of dogwood borer in commercial apple orchards in West Virginia, North Carolina, and Virginia in order to identify the most effective formulation. Borers often gain entrance through a wound in the trunk, such as one caused by a lawnmower. Adults are typical black and yellow clear-winged moth similar to but smaller than adult lesser peachtree borer and peachtree borer, with a wingspan of only ¾ inch. Injury by this borer in the 1900's occasionally caused premature dropping of leaves and twigs of street elms in Minneapolis to such an extent that it appeared as if an early fall had arrived (Ruggles 1915). The first sign of an infestation is the appearance of reddish brown, crumbly frass (excrement) on the surface. The larvae feed on the phloem tissue. The best strategy is to prevent wounding of the host plant. Dogwood Borer. In its larval stage DWB infests the trunks and branches of apple, dogwood, pecan, elm, hickory, and willow. However, this offers extremely little in the way of management. Host Plants: Primarily a pest of flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) but also may attack flowering cherry, apple, and various other deciduous hosts. On any rootstock, painting the lower trunk with white latex before egg-laying begins can significantly reduce infestation levels, as can proper planting with the graft union close enough to the ground that existing burr knots form roots. The front thoracic segment has two reddish-brown spots … Life Cycle. Eggs are small, ovoid, ridged, and usually laid singly in bark crevices. This sort of data can be useful in seeing concentrations of a particular species over the continent as well as revealing possible migratory patterns over a … What You Can Do. MM 111 is the only one of the Malling and Malling-Merton rootstocks to show any indication of resistance to DWB. Apple trees grown on dwarf rootstocks are more prone to DWB infestation; therefore DWB has become a more common pest as many growers have transitioned to … DWB seem to prefer trees that have already been infested. Infestation sites are marked by accumulations of brown frass mixed with sap and gum. Because egg hatch begins about 9 to 10 days aft… The dogwood borer rarely kills a tree in one season, but if left unchecked, these pests can eventually kill a dogwood tree, especially a young dogwood … Among borers, most pests are beetles and weevils (Coleoptera) followed by trunk, stem, and tip-boring caterpillars (Lepidoptera). NC State University and NC Synanthedon scitula (Harris) Lepidoptera: Sesiidae. After 8 or 9 days, eggs hatch and larvae enter the burr knot. A&T State University, in all 100 counties and with the Eastern Band of Cherokee This publication printed on: Dec. 14, 2020, NC The dogwood borer (Synanthedon scitula; DWB) is a small clearwing moth native to eastern North America. Keep a layer of mulch around the plant to keep the soil cool and moist, which in turn will help to keep the tree healthy. Other borers may also attack the sites of dead burr knots. They can also be weakened and even killed by the dogwood borer. Fighting dogwood borer requires the tree to develop new woody and leaf tissue at a faster rate than the activity of the borers can destroy it. Apple trees grown on dwarf rootstocks are more prone to DWB infestation; therefore DWB has become a more common pest as many growers have transitioned to smaller trees. Cooperative Extension is based at North Carolina's two land-grant institutions, Labels related to the pest - Borer, Dogwood. A member of the clearwing moth family, the dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula (Harris), is one of the most destructive pests of flowering dogwood, Cornus floridaL., affecting plantings in homes and parks (Johnson and Lyon 1991). (The yellow band on the fourth abdominal segment is much wider on the female than on the male.) NY State Ag Experiment Station A. The clear-winged moth adults of this pest appear around the time when the last of the petals have fallen from flowering dogwood (late spring-early summer). Dogwood borer moths are in the same family of clearwing moths (sesiidae) as the peachtree borer, rhododendron borer and the lilac borer. Insect. It can be found from the Atlantic through Kansas and the Dakotas. Entrance holes with exuded sawdust are to be found on the main trunk and larger branches. Reddish frass on the exterior of the knot indicates the presence of the larvae. Dogwood borer. Though dogwood trees are, for the most part, an easy to care for landscaping tree, they do have some pests. History and Origins of the Stellar Pink Dogwood Tree. The Stellar Pink Dogwood … ASSOCIATION OF DOGWOOD BORER WITH THE RECENT DECLINE OF DOGWOOD by Gerald S. Walton Abstract. Infested trees are best managed with the use of entomopathogenic nematodes. These insects enter a dogwood through a wound made through the bark. Usually there needs to be continuous infestation for several years before trees begin to show declining growth and reduced yields. DWB can also be controlled by trunk sprays with residual insecticides: usually, a single application at peak emergence provides sufficient control. Young trees are frequently killed, and older ones are reduced in vitality, often leading to death. Larvae will feed for one year and pupate the following spring. Flowering dogwoods that are older and especially those that have been wounded by mowers or line trimmers are most susceptible. This insect is the larva of a moth which burrows into a branch or trunk of a dogwood and feeds under the bark, weakening the tree and sometimes killing it. At only 15-25 feet tall and wide at maturity the Pink Dogwood is a good fit for many locations in your yard. Dr. Tracy Leskey can be contacted at 304-725-3451 x329 or by email at Once your order is placed online, our magic elves get right to work picking, staging, boxing and shipping your trees. The dogwood borer makes irregular tunnels under the bark on the main stem and sometimes on the base of limbs. As the larvae grow larger the eventually begin to feed on the sapwood. The insect has a wide host range including dogwood, pecan, oak, plum, and apple. To aid in the timing of sprays, pheromone traps are used to alert producers to the presence and activity of peachtree borer moths. The larvae are off-white to cream-colored with a reddish-brown head. Eggs will be laid on the bark, usually near a wound or branch collar. Written by: Robert ChildsRevised: 10/2011. They can be applied as a liquid spray directly to the trunk and main branches of the host. In its larval stage DWB infests the trunks and branches of apple, dogwood, pecan, elm, hickory, and willow. The adult female borer lays its eggs on the bark and dies soon after. Control of peach tree borers in commercial orchards relies on preventing the larval establishment underneath the bark. DWB overwinters as a mostly-mature larva that remains within a cocoonlike hibernaculum inside the feeding galleries of infested trees. Dogwood Borer, The dogwood borer, a native clearwing moth, can be found from southeastern Canada to Florida, and as far west as the Mississippi. Fully-developed larvae are also 1/2 inch (12.5mm) long, range from white to light pink, and have a dark brown head capsule. Also, sloughing of the bark may be another symptom. A • Several different borers can infest dogwoods. Pest: Dogwood Borer (Synanthedon scitula (Harris)) Order: Lepidoptera. Indians. The map below showcases (in blue) the states and territories of North America where the Dogwood Borer may be found (but is not limited to). Cornus florida, the flowering dogwood, is a species of flowering tree in the family Cornaceae native to eastern North America and northern Mexico.An endemic population once spanned from southernmost coastal Maine south to northern Florida and west to the Mississippi River. Use a complete, slow-release or organic fertilizer product designed for dogwoods or other acid-loving plants such as azaleas and rhododendrons. an increase in dogwood borer populations. The DWB has one generation per year throughout its geographic distribution. Description: — Read our Infesta ons in young trees usually occur in the main trunk, o Len around lawn mower injuries. Family: Sesiidae. Cooperative Extension prohibits discrimination and harassment regardless of age, color, disability, family and marital status, gender identity, national origin, political beliefs, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation and veteran status. DWB trap, hung approximately 4 feet (1.2 meters) above ground level. Distribution: Most fruit-growing states and provinces in eastern North America. They are found throughout the area where flowering dogwoods are grown. Adult moths have a wingspan of about 1 inch (25mm) and a black and yellow color pattern that makes them resemble small wasps. Females have a wide yellow band on the fourth abdominal segment, compared to a much narrower band on the same segment of the males. Burr knot on apple - favored site of DWB infestation. The number of burr knots (and therefore egg-laying sites) can be reduced with plant growth regulators such as NAA, but this is not always desirable since it will force any existing DWB larvae to leave burr knots and feed under the bark. Adult emergence begins in mid-June, peaks in early July, and continues until August. Boring insects of woody plants are represented by three insect orders (Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera) and encompass 20 insect families. With transparent wings and black and yellow bands, the Dogwood Borer is a great mimic of bees and wasps. The dogwood twig borer, Obrea tripunctata, is in the order Coleoptera and family Cerambycidae. Dogwood borer (Synanthedon scitula)- is the most serious insect pest of dogwoods. Cultivated trees are usually more heavily infested than those in wood lots. The lesser peachtree borer prefers older trees, infesting the upper trunk and main branches, often around wounds, cankers, or other damaged areas. Toggle navigation. commitment to diversity. A&T State University. Dogwood borer prefers flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) as its host. In the spring the larva resumes feeding and then spins a silken cocoon that is covered with frass (debris or excrement). Types of Clearwing Borers Dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula, prefers flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) as its host. In low to moderate infestations this should be done in August or September. Connect with UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry Program: UMass Research and Education Center Farms, Conservation Assessment Prioritization System (CAPS), Extension Risk Management/Crop Insurance Education, North American Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative, Civil Rights and Non-Discrimination Information. Oberea tripunctata Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Coleoptera Suborder: Polyphaga Family: Cerambycidae Genus: Oberea Species: O. tripunctata Binomial name Oberea tripunctata Swederus, 1787 Oberea tripunctata, the dogwood twig borer, is a species of longhorn beetle that is a widespread pest that attacks dogwood trees. Larvae are nearly white to light pink with a deep brown head capsule, and reach ½ inch at maturity. One of these pests is the dogwood borer. Feeding on burr knots usually does not harm the tree, although it may produce an entry point for disease organisms. 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