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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOREST SERVICE STATE AND PRIVATE FORESTRY SOUTHEASTERN AREA

DIVISION OF FOREST INSECT AND DISEASE CONTROL

ZONE OFFICES ASHEVILLE NC

MACON GA. ALEXANDRIA LA

Number 2

50 SEVENTH ST N.E. ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30323

June 1966

SUMMARY OF CONDITIONS

. . . Cold temperatures in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee appear to have decreased southern pine beetle populations. Further evaluations are needed before the full impact of the cold weather can be determined.

. . .Increases in beetle populations are indicated in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and the coastal area of South Carolina.

. . . Defoliation by several species of sawflies was observed in the Southeastern Area this spring.

. . . New infections of comandra blister rust on shortleaf pine were discovered in Arkansas. The only other known in- fection in the Southeastern Area is on loblolly pine in T ennes see.

. . . A decline of yellow poplar was reported from the Pisgah Ranger District in North Carolina. This condition has previously been reported for the Grandfather District and also from eastern Tennessee.

STATUS OF FOREST INSECTS

SOUTHERN PINE BEETLE, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimm.

ALABAMA Chemical control for southern pine beetle continues on the Shoal Creek, Talladega, Oakmulgee and Tuscaloosa Dis- tricts of the Talladega National Forest. An effort was made to treat all known infestations before spring emergence.

Examination of the infestation in Walker, Blount, Jefferson, Shelby and St. Clair counties following the cold temperatures of late January showed 20 to 100 percent mortality depending on topography and bark thickness of the infested trees. Sal- vage and/or chemical treatment is being carried out by most of the landov/ners as a clean-up effort to reduce losses.

GEORGIA Scattered infestations remain on the Chattooga and Tallulah

Districts of the Chattahoochee National Forest. The most recent survey of this area showed 0. 12 infested trees per 1, 000 acres. Control has been curtailed because of low population levels.

Endemic infestations continue on private land in the north- eastern and west-central part of the State. The cold tem- peratures of late January and early February when the temperature dropped to 8-10° below zero resulted in 7 1 percent mortality to all stages of the insect except the eggs in many areas.

March ground-checks showed that even though the majority of active broods were killed by low temperatures, some spots were still quite active.

LOUISIANA Southern pine beetle populations in the West Bay area of Allen Parish have shown a marked increase since November 1965.

An April 1966 survey showed approximately four infested trees per 1, 000 acres. This is 10 times the population found in No- vember 1965, and the highest ever found in this area. Popu- lations were found to have spread out of the known infested area to 2 miles east of West Bay and 2. 5 miles south of Oberlin. An operational flight in May showed a further increase in activity.

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SOUTHERN PINE BEETLE (Cont'd)

MISSISSIPPI

NORTH

CAROLINA

SOUTH

CAROLINA

The infestation in the Calcasieu Parish area shows a popu- lation of 2. 89 infested trees per 1, 000 acres. Populations are concentrated in an area southwest of Sulphur.

The infestation detected last year in the Feliciana Parishes has increased to a relatively high level of 11. 74 infested trees per 1, 000 acres surveyed, or 26. 59 infested trees per 1, 000 acres of pine type. Populations have spread to within 4 miles of the Amite River and are a threat to the excellent pine stands to the east of the area.

Populations decreased from approximately 11 trees per 1,000 acres in November 1965 to 5 trees per 1, 000 acres in April 1966 on the Homochitto National Forest. However, this is almost twice the population indicated by a survey in April 1965 when populations became epidemic in mid-summer.

Infestations on private land in Mississippi are reported as building up in timber damaged by hurricane Betsy.

Cold temperatures in late January contributed to a general decline in southern pine beetle activity in the upper Piedmont. One-third as many beetle spots were reported during March as in November.

There is only light, scattered southern pine beetle in the north- eastern part of the State. All known spots in Granville, Vance and Warren counties have been removed by salvage operations.

New infestations are reported in Cleveland, Catawba and Wilkes counties; however, beetle spots are small and scattered.

(North Carolina Division of Forestry)

Infestations on the Andrew Pickens District of the National Forests in South Carolina are continuing at a moderate level. Chemical control and salvage operations are helping to reduce losses.

Activity is on an upward trend in the Francis Marion National Forest. A chemical control project was initiated in April to reduce losses and prevent a buildup later in the summer.

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	SOUTHERN PINE BEETLE (Cont'd)
TENNESSEE	Southern pine beetle activity on the Oak Ridge Atomic Energy Reservation has declined from a very high level in early Jan- uary. Sudden cold weather and intensive salvage operations have contributed to the reduction in beetle populations.
TEXAS	An aerial survey by the Texas Forest Service in April revealed approximately 2 trees per 1, 000 acres infested with southern pine beetle. This is a slight decrease in beetle population since Janra ry 1966. Operational flights early this spring did not indicate a large increase in populations, but more spots were picked up than during the same period in 1965. Flights during May indicated an increase in beetle activity. (Texas Forest Service)
VIRGINIA	Infestations are continuing at light to moderate levels in por- tions of the Piedmont and coastal plain.

BLACK TURPENTINE BEETLE, Dendroctonus terebrans (Oliver)

ARKANSAS	Residual infestations from 196 5 are evident in only a few isolated areas.
LOUISIANA	No unusual conditions reported except in the Sulphur area where populations have built-up this spring in areas distrubed by south- ern pine beetle operations last summer.
VIRGINIA	A localized infestation is present in a white pine seed production area on the Broadway District of the George Washington National Forest.
AREA	For the remainder of the Southeastern Area, populations appear normal for this season of the year.
VIRGINIA	IPS ENGRAVER BEETLES, Ips spp. Infestations of Ips grandicollis are present in several red pine plantations on the Dry River and Broadway Districts of the George Washington National Forest.

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PINE SAWFLIES, Neodiprion spp.

	Neodiprion merkeli
FLORIDA	Control was carried out in Taylor County on a 200-acre slash pine plantation against this insect. Control was accomplished by the company owning the land. Neodiprion pratti pratti (Dyar)
KENTUCKY	Light to moderate damage by the Virginia pine sawfly is occurring on the Morehead District of the Daniel Boone National Forest.
NORTH CAROLINA & VIRGINIA	The infestation of the Virginia pine sawfly in the Piedmont of North Carolina and Virginia continued at a light level during the spring of 1966. Neodiprion taedae linearis
ARKANSAS	Infestations and damage by this insect were light this spring. (Arkansas Pest Report)
LOUISIANA	The area around Georgetown again experienced moderate defoliation by the loblolly pine sawfly. Populations appeared to be more widespread than in 1965.
MISSISSIPPI	Twenty-five acres were defoliated by the loblolly pine sawfly in Lowndes County. This is the second known occurrence of this insect in Mississippi.
ARKANSAS	SEED AND CONE INSECTS Suppression projects by the U. S. Forest Service are continuing on two shortleaf pine seed production areas on the Ozark National Forest.
ALABAMA FLORIDA & GEORGIA	Evaluation of seed and cone insects is proceeding on seed produc- tion areas in Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

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FOREST TENT CATERPILLAR, Malacosoma disstria (Hbn. )

ALABAMA

LOUISIANA

NORTH CAROLINA TENNESSEE & VIRGINIA

GEORGIA

NORTH

CAROLINA

Present indications are that defoliation by this insect in the Mobile River Basin in Baldwin County will be as extensive as in 1965. Landowners' interest continues high because of the valuable veneer species being defoliated.

Buildup of populations of the forest tent caterpillar occurred in the area north of Krotz Springs. Other light scattered infestations were observed in south and central Louisiana.

BALSAM WOOLLY APHID, Chermes piceae (Ratz)

An aerial survey of the spruce -fir type in late May and early June revealed a surprisingly small number of dying Fraser fir. No new infestations were detected.

WEEVILS

The white pine weevil, Pissodes strobi (Peck), has been reported as causing some leader damage on young white pine in north Georgia.

The pales weevil, Hylobius pales (Hbst. ), continues to pre- sent a serious problem to pine reproduction in the pocosin areas of the North Carolina coastal plain. Larvae and pupae have been found in both stumps and partially to completely buried slash where moisture conditions are favorable to the weevil. Emerging adults feed on newly planted seedlings causing heavy losses in plantations. Areas prepared for planting in the fall are most seriously affected.

A pilot control program using 5 percent DDT nursery spray in combination with a 1 pound per acre DDT granular appli- cation when feeding reached approximately 5 percent was tried on 4, 000 acres of private land during April in an attempt to minimize losses.

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MISCELLANEOUS INSECTS

KENTUCKY

&:

TENNESSEE

NORTH

CAROLINA

VIRGINIA

Yellow poplar in portions of eastern Kentucky and northeastern Tennessee are infested by a leaf-mining weevil, Odontopus calceatus (Say). Little is known of the biology other than that the eggs are laid in the mid-rib, probably soon after the leaves open in the spring, and the larvae mine throughout the leaf causing an unsightly appearance of the foliage. Pupation occurs within the mined area. The adults are thought to feed for a short while on the foliage and then to remain dormant in the duff until the following spring.

Fall cankerworm, Alsophila pometaria (Harris), defoliated oaks and other hardwoods on approximately 500 acres near Nags Head, North Carolina.

The chrysomelid, Glyptoscelis pubescens F. , damaged pine ramets on the Beech Creek Seed Orchard near Murphy, N. C. for the second consecutive year. Feeding began in mid-April and continued into May. Feeding damage was minimized by the application of a 1 percent DDT spray.

Adults of the periodic cicada, Magicicada sp. , are emerging over extensive areas of western North Carolina. Considerable oviposition damage may be expected this summer.

An oak leaf tier, Croesia semipurpurana (Kearfott), caused severe damage to scarlet oak in the James River District of the George Washington National Forest for the second consecu- tive year.

Two localized infestations of the fall cankerworm comprising about 400 acres continue in Botetout and Nelson counties. An egg survey and parasite evaluation carried out in the two areas in the past winter and spring indicate that a slight drop in intensity of the infestation may be expected.

A hardwood looper, Phigalia titea (Cramer), continued to infest some Z, 500 acres of oak-hickory forest on the Lee District of the George Washington National Forest during May. An aerial survey and subsequent ground checks indicate a lower level of infestation and a more scattered pattern than in 1965.

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STATUS OF FOREST DISEASES

ANNOSUS ROOT ROT, Fomes annosus (Fr. ) Cooke

ARKANSAS Fomes annosus is causing mortality in a seed production area on the White Rock Ranger District, Ozark National Forest.

MISSISSIPPI New infection centers of F. annosus were found on the Tombig- bee National Forest in Winston County, Mississippi.

TEXAS Fomes annosus was found causing damage in the oldest slash

pine plantation in Texas. The plantation is located in Cass County.

COMANDRA BLISTER RUST, Cronartium comandrae (Peck. )

ARKANSAS New infections of comandra blister rust on shortleaf pine have

been found on the Buffalo Ranger District, Ozark National Forest. These new infections are about 1 mile from infections found in 1962. Mortality from the old infections is declining but the rust has spread to a new area.

TENNESSEE The only other known infection of comandra blister rust in the Southeastern Area is located on the Bledsoe State Forest in Tennessee affecting loblolly pine. This infection was found about 15 years ago and is still active. It is quite possible that other infections are present in the Area.

SOUTHERN CONE RUST, Cronartium strobilinum Hedge. & Hahn

AREA Cone rust was light to moderately heavy in areas where slash

and longleaf pine v/ere growing near evergreen oaks. This disease is of concern to land managers who have established seed orchards or seed production areas.

LOBLOLLY PINE DIE-OFF

ALABAMA Loblolly pine "die-off" continues to be a management problem on the Oakmulgee District of the Talladega National Forest.

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LOBLOLLY PINE DIE-OFF (Cont'd)

GEORGIA	An area of private land in the vicinity of Birmingham has a pine stand showing symptoms normally associated with "die-off. " Loblolly pine exhibiting symptoms of "die-off" have been observed in west central Georgia.
AREA	NEEDLE CAST, Hypoderma lethale Dearn. Widespread light to moderate infection by this fungus is general throughout the Southeastern Area. Loblolly pine appears to be most heavily infected. Fungus attacks trees of all ages.
NORTH CAROLINA TENNESSEE	DECLINE OF YELLOW POPLAR (cause unknown) A decline of yellow poplar was reported from the Pisgah District of the National Forests in North Carolina. Symptoms include a thinning of the crown, branch die -back and eventual mortality. A similar condition has been known on the Grand- father District for some time and is reported spreading. This condition has also been noted previously in eastern Tennessee.
TEXAS	MISCELLANEOUS DISEASES Live oak decline reported to be caused by a Cephalosporium sp. is causing considerable concern in Texas. According to a recent survey, the hardest hit areas are in Kerr and San Patricio coun- ties. The disease has killed a large number of trees in Kerrville and is reducing property values.
NORTH CAROLINA	White pine mortality due to an unknown cause was detected over a 15-acre area on the Catawba District of the National Forests in North Carolina. Symptoms involved are an abrupt cessation of growth followed by extensive branch die -back and resinosus at branch nodes.
GEORGIA	Damping-off, possibly due to the cool rainy weather, has been heavy in Georgia Forest Tree Nurseries this spring.

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More detailed information can be obtained by writing to the Forest Insect and Disease Control Branch Zone Offices listed below or to the Atlanta Office:

ZONES	FOR STATES OF:
Zone 1 William M. Ciesla Zone Leader P. O. Box 1211 Asheville, North Carolina 28802 Tel. No. AC 704 254-0961, Ext. 625	Kentucky North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee Virginia
Zone 2 William H. Padgett Zone Leader P. O. Box 1077 Macon, Georgia 31202 Tel. No. AC 912 746-3531	Alabama Florida Georgia
Zone 3 Henry H. Galusha, Jr. Zone Leader 2500 Shreveport Highway Pineville, Louisiana 71360 Tel. No. AC 318 445-6511, Ext. 694	Arkansas Louisiana Mis sis sippi Oklahoma T exas