InsectsInvade
WANTED
INSIDE:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
Program Aid 2148a
January 2014
Bug Benefits
Insects on the Move
Meet the Troublemakers
You Can Make a Difference
forests—which cover more than one-third of our country’s land area—
are under attack. When insects from faraway places arrive in forests
that are new to them, they can damage and kill trees. That harms the
other plants, animals, and people that depend on the trees. Millions
of dollars are spent every year to try to save the trees and prevent
the spread of insects. Luckily, the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service is battling these six-legged invaders. For more than
100 years, the Forest Service has helped to take care of public land
in our country’s forests. In these pages, you’ll read about the dangers
of insect invaders. You’ll also learn how the Forest Service—and kids
like you—can fight back against these troublesome insects.
CONTENTS
Bug Benefits
Page 3
Insects on the
Move Page 4
In Trouble:
Forests and
Their Trees
Page 5
Above: Emerald Ash
Borer, page 8
This Insects Invade
magazine was developed
in conjunction with
Scholastic Inc., and
the U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Forest
Service.
2
On the Trail of
an Invasion!
Pages 6 and 7
Meet the
Troublemakers
Pages 8 and 9
> Emerald Ash Borer
> Asian Long-Horned Beetle
Above:
Gypsy Moth,
page 9
> Gypsy Moth
> Redbay Ambrosia Beetle
Questions and
Answers:
On the Front Lines
Did You
Know?
Page 10
You Can Make
a Difference
Page 11
Insect Hunt Quiz!
Back Cover
An ecosystem
is a community of
plants, animals, and
microorganisms
together with their
environment.
Photos, top to bottom: bee on flower, © dageldog/iStockphoto; hawkmoth, © Bonsak Hammeraas, Bioforsk/Bugwood.org; ladybug, © Russ Ottens, UGA/Bugwood.org; bird, © iStockphoto/Thinkstock.
Forests are important ecosystems. But many U.S.
Front cover photos, left to right: © DCNR—Forestry Archive/Bugwood.org; © Michael C. Thomas, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services/Bugwood.org; © David Mohn, Critters Page/Bugwood.org.
Photos, this page: emerald ash borer on penny, © Howard Russell, Michigan State Univ/Bugwood.org; forest, © iStockphoto/Thinkstock; gypsy moth, © David Mohn, Critters Page/Bugwood.org.
WELCOME
BUG
Benefits
1
Bugs are just one kind of insect. Beetles,
moths, butterflies, and bees are some other
types of insect. Insects may be crawly, but
they’re not always creepy! They play many
important roles in the habitats (natural
environments) where they live. They help
out people in many ways, too.
1. Bees pollinate plants, allowing fruits and vegetables to
grow. Their ability to see ultraviolet light helps them find the
center of flowers quickly.
2. Hawkmoths help to pollinate plants. They can
2
hover in midair like a hummingbird while they feed on nectar.
Some of these moths have tongues that are longer than their
bodies!
3. Ladybugs have big appetites. The polka-dotted
predators eat many insects, including aphids. Aphids can
damage garden vegetables and other plants.
3
4. Insects are an important part of the food chain.
Animals such as frogs, fish, lizards, bats, birds, skunks, and
raccoons all will make a meal of insects.
Can you think of other ways that insects are helpful?
4
3
TRAVEL
INSECTS ON THE MOVE
Invasive species arrive to their new homes in unexpected ways.
There’s no such thing as bad insects. But when
they move from their native ecosystem into a
habitats by mistake. These days, people travel
new one, insects can create big problems.
around the world easily. We also ship food,
Nonnative plants and animals that harm their
wood products, live plants, and many other
new ecosystems are called invasive species.
goods from country to country. Insects can
Insects from faraway places like Africa
and Asia sometimes make their way into
accidentally hitchhike on those trips.
What makes invasive insects harmful? In their
native homes, they had to watch out for natural
always come from distant lands. Insects
predators and native diseases, which kept their
from the Southern United States can become
numbers low. In their new habitats, however,
troublemakers if they move into new habitats
they face fewer threats, so they can become
in the Northern United States, for example.
widespread and damage large areas of forests.
Invasive insects can also compete with native
United States can cause problems elsewhere
species for food and space. When these things
when they invade other places.
happen, little insects can lead to big trouble.
Photo: airplane, © iStockphoto/Thinkstock.
the United States. But, invasive insects don’t
And native insects that are helpful in the
4
Many invasive species arrive in their new
Photos: forest, firewood, oranges, © iStockphoto/Thinkstock; officer, © CBP Photography; plant, © dem10/iStockphoto.
FIREWOOD
FOOD
PRODUCTS
IN TROUBLE:
FORESTS AND
THEIR TREES
LIVE
PLANTS
Did You
Know?
Invasive insects
can arrive by
boat in shipments
from overseas.
Federal officer
preparing
a vegetable
shipment for
inspection.
Forests are filled with trees that clean our
water and air and provide shelter for many
plants and animals. Trees help protect the
soil from water runoff after a storm, too.
They also offer wild spaces where people
can play and explore. Unfortunately,
invasive insects spell trouble for these
important plants.
In forests, invasive insects may chew up
leaves, suck sap, or tunnel deep into tree
trunks to lay eggs. Over time, that damage
can kill even the tallest trees. When enough
trees are damaged or killed by insects, the
whole forest is at greater risk of wildfires.
To care for our valuable forests, we must
protect them from invasive pests.
5
6
7
MEET THE
TROUBLEMAKERS
HOME TURF:
PRIZE:
Asia
Best Dressed Award
THE SCOOP: This
glittery green
insect really does sparkle like
a gem. But beneath the glitter
is a dark side. The beetles are
threatening North American
ash trees. The beetles’ larvae
(children) tunnel under tree
bark, causing damage that
kills the tree. The emerald ash
borer has already destroyed
tens of millions of ash trees.
One reason that is a problem?
Because people use ash trees
to make baseball bats! The
ash borer arrived in the United
States in 2002. Since then,
it has spread to more than
a dozen States—from the
Midwest to the East, and to the
Damage from
the emerald
ash borer.
South. The small, hard-to-spot
beetle often spreads when
people carry firewood from
place to place.
8
Asian Long-Horned Beetle
Photos: Asian long-horned beetle, © Dean Morewood, Health Canada/Bugwood.org; gypsy moth, © Scott Bauer, USDA ARS/Bugwood.org;
redbay ambrosia beetle, © Michael C. Thomas, FDASC/Bugwood.org.
Emerald Ash Borer
Photos: damaged tree, © David Cappaert, Michigan State Univ/Bugwood.org; emerald ash borer, © David Cappaert, Michigan State Univ/
Bugwood.org.
There are many
species of invasive
insects, but four of
them are causing the
most trouble right now.
HOME TURF:
ALIAS:
Asia
Starry Sky Beetle
PRIZE: Longest Antenna
Award (It’s longer than the
insect’s body!)
This speckled
insect may resemble a night
sky—but you wouldn’t want to
wish on this star. The blackand-white beetle was first
THE SCOOP:
discovered in the United States
in 1996. So far, the menace
has been spotted in Ohio,
Massachusetts, New York, and
New Jersey. Many other States
are also at risk. New England
States are worried the beetles
could harm maple syrup
production. That’s because
the insect burrows into
hardwood trees such as
maples, eventually killing
them. A single beetle can
lay as many as 161 eggs in
its lifetime.
Gypsy Moth
HOME TURF:
PRIZE:
Europe
Old-Timer Award
People
brought gypsy moths to
Massachusetts—on purpose—
in the mid-1800s. They hoped
the moths could make silk. Big
mistake. The moths escaped
and started eating all the
leaves in their path. Over the
last 135 years or so, the moths
have spread north, south, and
west, munching the leaves of
countless trees. The bad news:
Gypsy moths can cause a lot
of damage in the first 10 to 20
years after they show up in a
new place. The good news:
After 20 years or so, forests
usually recover from gypsy
moth invasions.
THE SCOOP:
Redbay Ambrosia Beetle
HOME TURF:
PRIZE:
Asia
Secret Weapon Award
THE SCOOP: This tiny beetle is
smaller than a grain of rice.
But, the redbay ambrosia
beetle carries a secret
weapon: fungus. The tiny black
beetles bore into trees in the
laurel family to lay their eggs,
bringing fungus with them.
When the baby beetles hatch
from their eggs, they feast on
that fungus. Unfortunately for
the tree, the fungus causes
laurel wilt, a deadly tree
disease. Redbay ambrosia
beetles were first spotted in
the United States in Georgia
in 2002. Since then, they’ve
spread to Florida, Mississippi,
and South Carolina. They
may be hard to stop. A single
fungus-toting beetle can infect
and kill an entire tree.
9
the insects use to find each other and the trees they eat. We can
use those chemicals to lure the insects into traps or to protect trees.
What insects are you battling?
One critter I’m working on now is the goldspotted oak borer. It
feeds on phloem, tree tissue that lies beneath the bark. Phloem is
like ice cream to these beetles. The insect was originally from
southern Arizona. But, it was accidentally introduced near San Diego,
California, where there are more vulnerable species of oak. We think
the beetle was moved to California inside firewood. The beetle has
killed about 25,000 trees so far.
Above, top: Funnel
trap baited to fight
the redbay ambrosia
beetle.
Above, bottom:
Strings of sawdust
are a telltale sign of
the beetle.
Right: Gypsy moth
traps being checked
for signs of the
insect.
10
How do people like you in the Forest Service protect
forests from invasive insects?
Sometimes we remove trees so that the
forests are healthier overall. Then, if the
insects arrive, the trees have a fighting
chance. We also look for invasive species
that have just arrived at ports or urban parks,
before they have a chance to spread. If we
can find them early, maybe we can wipe
them out before they invade our forests.
Photos: insect eggs, © Lesley Ingram/Bugwood.org; bark damage, © Stanislaw Kinelski/Bugwood.org; damaged treetops, © Daniel Herms, The Ohio State Univ/Bugwood.org; damaged leaves,
© Landesforstpräsidium Sachsen Archive/Bugwood.org; binoculars, © iStockphoto/Thinkstock.
I study insects that attack forests. I figure out what natural chemicals
Insect Eggs
Bark Damage
Invasive species
can be found in
any habitat—rivers,
ponds, forests,
farms, mountaintops,
even in houses
and big cities.
Damaged Leaves
Damaged Treetops
You Can Make
A Difference
Here are some ways you can help in the
fight against invasive species:
➜ Learn as much as
off-road vehicles,
➜ Make sure you
you can about the
boats, and other
buy local firewood.
invasive insects in
equipment. These
your area. Check
might be carrying
invasive stowaways.
Logs from other areas
can hide bugs like the
emerald ash borer or
goldspotted oak borer.
trees, gardens, and
yards near your home.
If you spot signs of
an invasive insect,
report it.
➜ Before you leave
forests, clean your
hiking boots,
➜ Don’t release
exotic pets or
➜ Teach your friends
garden plants into
and family!
the wild. Just like
insects, these species
can become invasive
in a new habitat.
To learn more, visit
invasivespeciesinfo.gov.
ANSWERS
FOR QUIZ
What do you do?
Did You
Know?
1. Asian Long-Horned
Beetle (nickname:
Starry Sky Beetle)
2. Hawkmoth
3. Any three of these:
frogs, fish, lizards,
bats, birds, skunks,
raccoons, and other
insects.
4. All countries should
be circled; invasive
species can come
from anywhere!
5. Massachusetts
6. Ladybug
7. Baseball bats
What’s it like to battle invasive insects firsthand? We asked Steve Seybold, a Forest
Service research entomologist (a scientist who studies insects).
Photos: funnel trap, © Albert “Bud” Mayfield, USDA Forest Service/Bugwood.org; strings of sawdust, © James Johnson, Georgia Forestry Comm./Bugwood.org; gypsy moth trap, © USDA APHIS PPQ Archive/
Bugwood.org.
&
QA
QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS:
ON THE
FRONT LINES
11
INSECT HUNT QUIZ!
Photos, clockwise from top: magnifying glass, © iStockphoto/Thinkstock; redbay ambrosia beetle, © Michael C. Thomas, FDASC/Bugwood.org; gypsy moth
caterpillar, iStockphoto/Thinkstock; gypsy moth, © David Mohn, Critters Page/Bugwood.org; emerald ash borer, © DCNR—Forestry Archive/Bugwood.org.
1. This invasive insect’s pretty nickname makes it sound
like a constellation. Find its name and nickname.
________________________________________________
2. Unscramble the letters to find the name of an insect that helps to pollinate plants.
A M W T O K H H
3. Name three animals mentioned in this magazine that like to dine on insects.
____________________________________________________________________________
4. Circle the countries where invasive species might come from:
United States
Australia
Japan
France
South Africa
5. Gypsy moths first showed up in the United States in what State in the mid-1800s?
_______________________________
6. Which insect listed below is a predator of other insects? Circle your answer.
Aphid
Ladybug
Emerald Ash Borer
Goldspotted Oak Borer
7. What type of sports equipment is at risk from the emerald ash borer? Unscramble the
letters to find out.
S B E L A A B L
S A T B
(See page 11 for answers.)
d a Hand
Len
–
a re
C
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities
on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status,
familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal,
or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not
all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for
communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s
TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA,
Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or
call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339 or (800) 845-6316
(in Spanish). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
for the L an
16 USC 580p-4
d