As this issue of City Trees comes
out, it's midsummer in the U.S., and with
summer comes an uptick in insect pests
that threaten forests and agriculture. Urban
foresters can stay ahead of the curve by
using forecasts that predict when pests
will be active in a particular area. The
USA National Phenology Network "Pheno
Forecast" map products, available for a
growing number of insect pests—including
spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula, SLF),
Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora
glabripennis, ALB), and emerald ash
borer (Agrilus planipennis, EAB)—can
support early detection efforts and the
management of existing populations.
Seasonal development of insect pests is
driven largely by warmth. Once a partic-
ular location accumulates enough warmth,
a life-cycle stage such as adult emergence
can occur. Pheno Forecast maps use those
heat thresholds to predict, on a daily basis,
which locations across the continental
U.S. can expect to see pest activity. Maps
are available via the USA-NPN visualiza-
tion tool and the USA-NPN website.
Enhanced Forecasts of
Spotted Lanternfly and Asian
Longhorned Beetle Activity
By Erin Posthumus (USA National Phenology Network Partnerships & Projects Manager), Theresa Crimmins
(USA-NPN Director), Jeff Switzer (USA-NPN Systems Analyst), Brittany Barker (Assistant Professor-Senior
Research, Horticulture Dept., Oregon State University), Len Coop (Associate Professor of Entomology,
Horticulture Dept., Oregon State University), and Talbot Trotter (USFS Research Ecologist)
Get notified when these pests
will be active in your area!
Receive advance warning of actionable activity for your pest
of interest. Sign up to receive email notifications approxi-
mately two weeks and six days before activity will occur at
your location. Sign up at www.usanpn.org/data/forecasts.
Report pest activity at your
site over the season.
Tracking when various species undergo life cycle stages at
your site can help you choose the best time to perform man-
agement activities and serve as an early warning indicator of
trouble brewing among your trees. You can track the timing
of activity of insect pests and over 1,800 other plant and
animal taxa using Nature's Notebook, the plant and animal
phenology monitoring program offered by the USA-NPN.
The USA-NPN uses observations submitted through Nature's
Notebook to validate and improve the Pheno Forecast maps.
14 CityTREES
