Red oak defoliation. Photos taken by Ron Kelley in Bolton, Jericho and Middlesex.
Red oak defoliation in Middlesex, Bolton, Jericho, Jamaica and other parts of Vermont, appears to be
heavier and more extensive than last year. The defoliation is the work of an oak leaftier/leaf roller
complex. This damage has also been reported from Maine and New Hampshire. Numerous larvae
have been observed on defoliated oaks, and we are attempting to rear larvae to adulthood for definitive
identifications.
Damaged aspen leaves from aspen leaf roller.
Stink bug and emergent nymphs on roller up aspen leaf.
Aspen defoliation by aspen leafrollers is evident along I-89 in Washington and Orange Counties,
notably between Barre and Randolph. The larvae are no longer present in the rolled leaves. Though
there are many leafrollers that attack aspen, Maine reported similar damage that they suspect is due to
the aspen leafroller, Pseudexentera oregonana. If this is it, it overwinters as a pupa in the litter and
emerges early in the spring when there is still snow on the ground. Stink bug eggs and emergent
nymphs were found in one of the rolled leaves. (Photos by Ron Kelley.)
Heavy Leafroller damage typical of that caused by
Sparganothis pettitana was reported for ornamental
sugar maples in Highgate. (Photo taken by Ron
Kelley.)
Leafroller damage on sugar maple.
May-June Beetles (Phyllophaga species) made an earlier-than-usual appearance this spring (May 4th sightings by Jon Turmel) and continue to come to lights into mid-June. http://bugguide.net/node/view/47697
Pine Needlecast, probably caused by brown spot needle blight, is common and widespread on
white pine again this year, particularly in southern Vermont, causing previous year needles on many
trees to brown up in early spring. Trees will look better shortly, once all the infected brown needles
have dropped. (Photos taken by Ron Kelley.)
Pine needlecast on white pine.
Brown spot needle blight on white pine.
Abiotic
Frost damage to maples combined with wind tattering is widespread in the northern Champlain Valley. Note the similarity to pear thrips injury, but there was no sign of pear thrips on these leaves. (Photo taken by Ron Kelley of Norway maple
leaves on Knight Point.)
Maple leaves damaged by frost.
Many people remarked onthe frost damage to Japanese knotweed. Unfortunately, that plant is recovering nicely!
Thin crowns on black cherry have been reported from several areas, but no cause has been determined. One theory is that thing crowns may be attributed to a heavy seed crop. This is not considered a leaf problem, but a twig problem. The fungus that causes Cytospora has been found in some cherries with thin crowns. (Photo taken by Ron
Kelley.)
Hemlock woolly adelgid has detected in Guilford June 8, 2009.Adults, eggs, crawlers, and attached nymphs were all present on the samples. The Vermont towns now confirmed to have the insect, still all in Windham County, are Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford, Jamaica, Townshend, and Vernon.
Jon Turmel has begun a series called “What’s Bugging You?” with Sharon Meyer on WCAX on
Wednesdays. Here’s a link to the first piece in the series. http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=10559020
![Vermont Division of Forestry [photo]](../img/banner_protection.jpg)
