If you see signs of infection, treat the area with insecticide spray and horticultural oils. The very small diameter of the trunk coupled with very small root mass can not outgrow sustained larval feeding, especially in years of low soil moisture (Spring 2015) and summer drought (Summer 2015). Describes the plants attacked by dogwood borers, the type of damage inflicted, methods of identification, life history, and control tactics to mitigate damage. If the tree is planted in full sun with limited water or under other stress, the damage can be serious. Most dogwood decline is caused by drought or powdery mildew or grass growing beneath the treeâ¦.but you definitely have twig borer doing damage to the limb. dc.format.extent 1 page ⦠Although insects often damage dogwood trees, the damage is usually minor. The damaged area of the trunk or branch swells and eventually the bark will fall off. Newly planted trees need to be braced for protection against wind. Dogwood borer (Synanthedon scitula) was identified as the cause. The dogwood borer is a common pest in the burr knots of apple trees on clonal rootstocks. Damage from the club gall midge can be seen in the form of galls that are typically 1/2 â 1-inch in size. Damage at root collar on flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) from dogwood borer (Lepidoptera); note white larvae (caterpillars). Damage In apple orchards, the dogwood borer is frequently found infesting the burrknots or adventitious (aerial) roots that grow just below the exposed graft union on dwarf and semidwarf trees. Credits: UF/IFAS Figure 2. This insect is not the same as dogwood borer, which attacks tree trunks and causes a scaly, knotty appearance. Peachtree borer damage at soil line. Cultivated trees are usually more heavily infested than those growing in wooded areas. This is one reason why host plant resistance has not been particularly well researched for woody plant borers. Pest: Dogwood Borer (Synanthedon scitula (Harris)) Order: Lepidoptera. Elm, viburnum, azalea, and many fruit trees may be attacked by the dogwood twig borer, though its principal host is flowering dogwood. This pest is also know as the elm twig girdler. Damage-On dogwood, attack is apparently confined to the trunk and limbs. 3 (1 = rare 5 = annual) Severity. Numerous scale insects are dogwood tree pests. Some notable successes are observed with borers, such as the peachtree borer ⦠(306) Photo: David Laughlin Dogwood borer larva ⦠Print Image. Barriers to dogwood borer oviposition may represent an effective, efficient, physical control method. Adult clearwing borers are delicate, dayâï¬ying moths that resemble small wasps. Infested branches and limbs will die. Any physical injury to the plant, especially by lawn mowers must be avoided. Dogwood Borer (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) Flight Activity and an Attempt to Control Damage in âGalaâ Apples Using Mating Disruption Larvae live in the cambium layer and their travel and eating damage the flow of nutrients and water. Frequency. Dogwood clubgall midge â Club- or spindle-shaped galls appear near the growing tips of dogwood twigs. Dogwood borer â The bark is injured, with fine boring dust on the trunk and branches in late summer. Dogwood borer have caused considerable damage to young establishing trees. Often Confused With . Dogwood borers are probably most damaging, but roundheaded apple tree borers, apple bark borers, flat-headed apple tree borers, and leopard moths can also be found. 2. Several species of clearwing and flatheaded borers can infest landscape plants. Larvae of the dogwood borer feed in the inner bark of live, healthy dogwood trees. Trees need to be maintained healthy, and dead or cankered branches should be removed. The dogwood borer has been considered an economically important pest for nearly 100 years. The dwarfing ⦠Signs of infestation include dying leaves, holes in the trunk and dying branches. Tree. In the Northeast, adult emergence begins in early June and continues into early September, peaking in mid July. However, because of the clearly extensive amount of damage, there is no effective treatment at this point in time. DESCRIPTION OF DAMAGE: Larvae feed in the inner bark of live, healthy dogwood trees. Persistent infestations over several years can contribute to a slow decline in a treeâs vigor and reduced yields. Infested branches often die or they are so weakened that they break off easily. Emerald ash borer larvae can develop in unrelated white fringetree (Chionanthus spp. Dogwood borer adult. Black stem borers, a tiny bark beetle, has recently been attacking stressed apple trees in New England. dogwood borer infestation of apple tree trunks that we are investigating is the use of trunk barriers made of novel materials, to directly protect the trunk surface from the ovipositing females and larval feeding. Dogwood borer, a clearwinged moth, has a wasp-like body, approximately 1 to 2 cm (1/2 inch) long. ), and dogwood borer larvae can develop in a wide range of callus or gall tissues on different trees, not just dogwood. The larvae are whi sh, hairless caterpillars with brown heads. Larvae feed in the inner bark of live, healthy dogwood trees. The infested are a of the trunk or branch swells and ultimately the bark falls off. J. Solomon, USFS, Bugwood.org: The dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula, one of about seven borers that attack dogwoods, is the most serious. 2 pictures total. 5 (1 = very little damage 5 = plants killed) Hosts. Below are some clearwing borers (Sesiidae) in our area: Dogwood borer damage. Host Plants Skip to Host Plants. In a single year one borer can completely girdle and kill a tree 10 cm in diameter, but death is more often brought about by the combined activity of several larvae and by successive infestations. Female dogwood borer's 4th abdominal segment is entirely yellow, while the male's is black with a narrow yellow ring. IPM of Midwest Landscapes 92 Pests of Trees and Shrubs Clearwing borers: dogwood borers, rhododendron borers Dogwood borer adult male. Description of damage. The larvae bore into the trunk and eat it from the inside out. 4. Severe dogwood borer infestations can girdle and kill a tree. Family: Sesiidae Host Plants: Primarily a pest of flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) but also may attack flowering cherry, apple, and various other deciduous hosts.Description: Flowering dogwoods that are older and especially those that have been wounded by mowers or line trimmers are most susceptible. watersprouts near the borer damage and borer holes on the trunk. Photos by: James Solomon, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org. While some are attracted to a range of hosts, most attack only certain kinds of trees and shrubs. P. Nixon. Wasps - Adults resemble wasps. Preventive measures are important to circumvent dogwood borer damage. The adult's emergence begins earlier further south. James ⦠The damaged area of the trunk or branch swells and eventually the bark will fall off. Peachtree borer - Larvae resemble the Peachtree borer which are much larger and do not attack apple. Damage caused by clearwing moth larvae. The gall will occasionally cause death of plant tissue nearby, and trees may be deformed by heavy infestations. ; The dogwood sawfly larvae feed on the foliage and the dogwood club gall midge causes spindle-shaped swelling on twigs. Dogwood borer almost never enter healthy bark or pruning wounds in apple trees. When a dogwood tree's bark is stripped or nicked, there is an opening for insect infestation, especially the dogwood borer. More than 19 species of trees are its known hosts. Biology. Leaves turning red prematurely in mid-summer on a lone branch are an early sign of dogwood borers. Dogwood twig borer â Leaves wilt on individual twigs; girdled tips drop. The moths feed only on nectar or not at all so they do not cause damage. Plants Affected . The larvae are whitish, hairless caterpillars with a brown head. This borer not only attacks dogwood trees but also plants in the genera Prunus, Malus and other plant genera. Damage: Sloughing-off of bark, Crown die-back, General decline, Presence of borers is indicated by reddish brown frass and pupal cases on the surface of burr knots. To make matters worse, female dogwood borers lay their eggs in wounds. Some of the twigs may be dead above the gall, and the tree may be deformed. We evaluated a combination of noninsecticidal alternatives to control trunk-damaging dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula (Harris), consisting of novel barrier technologies, used alone or in combination with mating disruption. Dogwood borer infests apple tree trunks by ovipositing on these burrknots, and their feeding damage often results in loss of tree vigor and shortened tree life. Insect Damage Dogwood Borer Synanthedon scitula. Dogwood borer damage. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION . Trunk damage caused by dogwood borer larva. Adults are bluish-black with a yellow band on the second and fourth abdominal segments. (and such good pictures!). Dogwood borer larvae. Once inside the tree, borer larvae are no longer vulnerable to insecticide sprays and are seldom detected until serious damage has been done. Dogwood borer adult. There are a number of different species, but the most damaging clearwing borers are associated with dogwood, lilac, ash, oak, rhododendron, and ornamental Prunus species, including flowering peach, plums, and cherries. Infested branches and limbs will die. You are the first person in my entire career to incontrovertibly have dogwood twig borer! Figure 1. 3. Whereas damage from bagworms results in defoliation as they consume foliage at incredible rates, the Dogwood Borer goes after the inner bark of live, healthy dogwood (as well as elm, pecan, willow and hickory) trees. Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) Symptoms. Photo by: ohn A. Weidhass, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Bugwood.org. Feeding is initially confined to the burr knot, but it sometimes spreads to healthy bark outside it. Adult female dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula (Harris). (10) Photo: James Solomon, USDA Forest Service, The Bugwood Network, University of Georgia. You donât want to make it easy for the larvae of the dogwood borer to damage your tree. In addition to the dogwood borer, you may encounter aphids, powdery mildew, scale, mites, or the Asian ambrosia beetle. The dogwood borer is the most noteworthy pest of the tree. ... -This pest is exclusive to flowering dogwood (Cornus florida). It would be best to remove the tree, as it cannot be saved with that amount of bark loss. Commonly occurring insect pests of dogwood include the dogwood borer, dogwood club-gall midge, and scales. Typical dogwood twig borer damage. You might want to spray your tree with an insecticide such as chlorpyrifos to prevent the borers from getting a foothold. at all, so they do not cause damage. Often branches can die. Leaves turning red prematurely in mid-summer on a lone branch are an early sign of dogwood borers. 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