In August 2020, it was confirmed that an argentine black and white tegu was sighted in South Carolina. This isn’t the first time a species has migrated from its natural habitat and moved northward towards the Carolinas; even armadillos have been recently spotted in the area. The sightings of the tegu lizard, however, are especially alarming because their native range is actually in South America. Tegus originate from Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. That’s what’s so fascinating about their arrival to South Carolina. Why Are They Showing Up? There’s not a lot of research surrounding how the tegu moved from its native range to the United States, but it’s likely due to the exotic pet trade. The trading of exotic animals can be very problematic, and this case is a great example of that. Due to trading, there are already sizable tegu populations living in Florida and Georgia. It’s probable that the tegu lizard was brought to the United States because it was purchased as an exotic pet, and its current populations in the southeastern U.S. are the result of pet owners releasing these lizards into the wild. When exotic pets are released, they can do significant harm to the ecosystems because they are outside of their native range. Burmese pythons are an example of how the release of exotic pets can damage the environment. These pythons have infested parts of Florida and are harming populations of native species. They have been found to feed on over 20 species of birds, many of which are classified as endangered. How Did They End Up in South Carolina? The exotic pet trade explains how the tegu lizard arrived in the United States, but it doesn’t explain why the wild populations seem to be moving north. A black and white tegu was spotted in Lexington County, SC in August, and just a few weeks later, 8 more sightings were confirmed in the state. So why do they seem to be moving here? There still isn’t a lot of research surrounding the spread of the tegu lizard, so we can’t be certain what is causing them to move and spread to surrounding states. However, there are a few possibilities. It’s important to keep in mind that these lizards are invasive to the United States, so they don’t have any natural competition or predators in the wild. Since we know that they already have established populations in nearby states, it’s likely that they are able to spread to more states in a short amount of time because they aren’t meeting any resistance. Controlling the spread of an invasive species is very difficult, especially once they already have a stable population. There are plenty of native species for the tegu to hunt and prey on, so they have several food sources as well. These lizards are predators, and their presence in SC provides a threat for native populations like turkey and quail. Since the species seems to specifically be moving northward, another possible explanation is climate change. Let’s look back at the example of armadillos appearing in the Carolinas. Over the past few decades, it has been observed that armadillo populations have been expanding further north, even appearing as far north as Illinois. This is mostly due to the fact that the climate has warmed to the point where these regions have become habitable for the armadillo, so they are able to expand their natural range. It’s possible that this is also why the tegu lizard has been seen in South Carolina. The warming climate means that the area has become more suitable for the lizard, so its wild populations are beginning to expand outside of where they were originally released. What Can We Do? Issues like climate change and the exotic pet trade are huge problems that need to be faced and dealt with. Although combating these issues may seem daunting, there are some small ways that people can help keep our ecosystems safe and healthy. One of the biggest lessons to be learned from the tegu lizard situation is that people shouldn’t release their exotic pets into the wild. Exotic pets can quickly become invasive if they are able to form a stable population, and the native animals in the surrounding environment have no natural defenses against them. Better yet, this is a lesson of why people shouldn’t be buying exotic animals to keep as pets. Exotic animals don’t need to be taken out of their natural habitat, and the spread of the tegu lizard has shown that buying and releasing these animals can have serious consequences. Works Cited Armadillos On The Move To North Carolina. (2019, June 06). Retrieved from https://www.wfdd.org/story/armadillos-move-north-carolina Everglades Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.evergladescisma.org/the-dirty-dozen/tegu-lizards/ Exotic Pet Trade. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nhes.org/exotic-pet-trade/ First sighting of black and white tegu lizard confirmed in Midlands. (2020, August 21). Retrieved from https://www.dnr.sc.gov/news/2020/aug/aug_21.php Mallory, L. (2020, September 10). 8 more non-native tegu lizard sightings in SC have wildlife officials concerned. Retrieved from https://www.wistv.com/2020/09/10/more-non-native-tegu-lizard-sightings-sc-have-wildlife-officials-concerned/ Ronald Driggers, Orges Furxhi, Gonzalo Vaca, Veerle Reumers, Milad Vazimali, Robert Short, Prashant Agrawal, Andy Lambrechts, Wouter Charle, Kathleen Vunckx, and Carl Arvidson, "Burmese python target reflectivity compared to natural Florida foliage background reflectivity," Appl. Opt. 58, D98-D104 (2019) Taulman, J.F. and Robbins, L.W. (2014), Range expansion and distributional limits of the nine‐banded armadillo in the United States: an update of Taulman & Robbins (1996). J. Biogeogr., 41: 1626-1630. https://doi-org.prox.lib.ncsu.edu/10.1111/jbi.12319 United States, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, National Wildlife Control Training Program. (n.d.). Armadillos. Retrieved from https://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/publications/nuisance/armadillos.pdf Photography: Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department , Bugwood.org
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At first glance, the spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula, is quite exquisite, but their looks are deceiving. As a more recent invasive, they are considered one of the most aggressive pests in the Mid-Atlantic region and pose a severe threat to our forests and agricultural industry. Most plants, animals, and insects are equipped with at least one defense mechanism to help them survive, but these pests have four that can change seasonally. With cryptic forewings, defensive chemicals, and multiple behavioral defenses such as jumping, running, and death feigning (pretending to be dead or injured) when captured, the spotted lanternfly is a force to be reckoned with. Surprisingly, Changku Kang, a professor in the Department of Biology at Carleton University in Canada, discovered that adult lanternflies are more likely to jump and run away from potential threats in the spring and summer, while death feigning seems to be the preferred tactic in late summer and fall. How did the Lantern Fly get here?In 1844 the spotted lanternfly was first described in Nankin, China. Unfortunately, very little was known about them until they began to cause significant problems in South Korea and Japan in the early 2000s. It is suspected that egg masses were unintentionally transported to the U.S. in a shipment of stone. The first sightings in the United States occurred in 2014 in Berks County, Pennsylvania, and they quickly spread across the state. Currently, invasions of the spotted lanternfly have been documented in Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, New York, Massachusetts, and Maryland. Why is it a threat?The spotted lanternfly is highly polyphagous, meaning they can eat a wide variety of foods, and they are known to have a voracious appetite. Think Eric Carle’s 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' on steroids. Both adults and the 4 nymphal stages, called instars, suck sap from trees and vines, draining them of the essential sugars they need to survive. Instars seem to be the most destructive as they feed on a broader range of plants and will consume leaves and stems in addition to the sugary sap. As they reach adulthood, they typically reduce their range of host plants just before reproducing. Incidentally, the tree-of-heaven, which is also a problematic invasive species here in the Carolinas, is thought to be the spotted lanternflies’ host tree. However, they are also known to nearly drain the life out of many of our native and agricultural crop trees, including; birch, maple, beech, sassafras, oak, tulip, black cherry, black gum, white ash, serviceberry, apple, peach, and walnut trees. In Pennsylvania, grapevines are being hit hard, which may have a significant economic impact on their local wineries. How to Identify the Spotted Lantern Fly?Though it looks more like a moth and has fly in its name it’s actually neither. The spotted lanternfly is a planthopper in the order Hemiptera and is more closely related to aphids, cicadas, and brown marmorated stink bugs. Adults may be present from late summer through November. They are approximately 1 inch in length by ½ inch wide. Their forewings are grey with black spots, and their wingtips have a black block-like pattern. The hind wings have contrasting patches of red and black with a white band. Their legs and head are black; the abdomen is yellow with broad black bars across each segment. Egg masses can be seen from mid-October to early spring and are commonly laid along smooth tree trunks like the tree-of-heaven. However, they can be found on nearly any smooth outdoor surface. Their egg masses are grayish-brown in color and look like dry mud or putty. They can contain anywhere from 30-50 eggs each. Spotted lanternfly nymphs emerge in late spring or early summer. They are black with white spots and develop patches of red as they grow. What is being done to manage the spotted lanternfly in areas impacted by them?![]() The bad news is that this invasion is relatively new, and there is still a lot to learn about these pests. The good news is that they don’t seem to be very resilient against common insecticides. Researchers have found that Chlorpyrifos, a chemical commonly used in agricultural pesticides, effectively kills 100% of treated spotted lanternfly egg masses, while thiamethoxam and bifenthrin are found to be lethal to adults in less than two weeks. More commonly used products containing neem oil and insecticidal soap seem to be very effective as well. The greatest challenge though, is that spotted lanternflies are feeding on so many things in the surrounding landscape that even after an orchard or vineyard is treated, they may re-infest the area within a few days. Sticky bands placed on tree trunks are a great way to catch spotted lanternfly nymphs. They can be purchased at your local garden shop, or you can make your own by wrapping duct tape around the trunk of your tree with the sticky side facing outwards and securing it with push pins. |
If you’re a gardener, then you’re probably familiar with the Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica. First discovered in the United States in southern New Jersey in 1916, these small, metallic-green beetles are destructive plant pests that have spread well beyond their entry point. In fact, these beetles are present in most states east of the Mississippi River, and partial infestations occur in states like Arkansas, Iowa, and Kansas. Like any invasive species, the Japanese beetle lacks the natural “checks” that keep it at bay in its home, Japan. As a result, it has become a serious plant pest and threat to agriculture in the United States. Still, methods of controlling the pest have been developed over the years, and strict regulations and monitoring have prevented the pest’s establishment in some southern and western states.
What makes the Japanese beetle so destructive?
Japanese beetles are damaging both as adults and immatures (called larvae or grubs). The immature beetles develop in soil. These hungry grubs feed on roots of vegetation like grasses and other plants. Grubs often destroy turf grass in areas like golf courses and parks. They are quite efficient at destroying turf – the Japanese beetle is the most widespread turf-grass pest in the United States. Shockingly, it is estimated to cost over $460 million a year to control the beetle of which $234 million is spent on the immature stage alone.
When these grubs grow into adults, they become no less destructive! Adult Japanese beetles feed on the fruits and foliage of a wide range of plant species. In fact, Japanese beetles attack over 300 species of plants. Examples include shrubs, fruit trees, field crops, and ornamental trees. As adults satiate their hunger with this vegetation, they create skeletonized leaves along with large holes in leaves.
How can we control the Japanese beetle?
Control of the Japanese beetle is tricky. As a homeowner, there is no easy or quick fix to get rid of this bothersome beetle. Still, scientists at the USDA have created an integrated pest management (IPM) program that homeowners can utilize. As long as homeowners monitor the beetle populations (both as adults and immatures) and collaborate with neighbors, the program can be effective.
IPM is a control method that uses many different tactics to keep pest populations below damaging levels. Rather than eradicate pests, IPM seeks to control them, keeping in mind that reducing pest populations can have a damaging effect on beneficial organisms and the ecosystem as a whole. Therefore, IPM works to minimize impacts on the environment by using many control methods, including biological, cultural, mechanical, and chemical tactics. IPM also includes surveying the pests to keep track of their population size. Because it is clear that the Japanese beetle isn’t going anywhere, IPM allows us to realistically manage the pest. Simply applying chemical pesticides can be wasteful and environmentally damaging, so IPM is a great way to manage the beetle while minimizing environmental harm.
So, what does the IPM program for the Japanese beetle entail? Aside from using survey methods like trapping to keep up with the population size, the IPM plan also includes biological controls. This refers to using other organisms to kill the Japanese beetle. Some biocontrol agents include parasites, nematodes, and bacteria. Several of these are commercially available to homeowners. For example, milky spore, Bacillus papillae, refers to the spores of a bacterium that will infect the gut cells and enter the blood of Japanese beetles. Other methods for controlling the beetle include chemical controls (insecticides) and mechanical controls, such as hand-picking the beetles or using traps. It may be possible to simply shake beetles off plants each morning (due to their aggregation behavior) or pick them off by hand and knock them into a jar of soapy water. If choosing to use chemicals, make sure to follow all instructions and read labels carefully. Secondly, if you have any questions about these methods or would like more information, make sure to contract your county extension office.
Lastly, there are many plants that are resistant to the Japanese beetle that you can grow. Examples include hickory, red maple, tulip popular, ash, coreopsis, and more. For a more complete list, check out the USDA’s homeowner handbook to Japanese beetle (page 13) or contact your county extension office.
So, while the Japanese beetle causes a large amount of damage and is just plain annoying to many gardeners, there are control methods to combat it. They may seem like the bane of your garden, but there are several strategies besides pesticides that you can utilize with the help of neighbors and local extension agents!
References
Brandenburg, R., & Billeisen, T. (n.d.). Japanese Beetle. Retrieved November 3, 2020, from https://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/insects/japanese-beetle-in-turf/
Daughtry, M., & Gaster, R. (2019, July 05). Japanese Beetles. Retrieved November 3, 2020, from https://lee.ces.ncsu.edu/2019/07/japanese-beetles-4/
United States, US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. (2015, August). Managing the Japanese Beetle: A Homeowner's Handbook. Retrieved November 3, 2020, from https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/jb/downloads/JBhandbook.pdf
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