September 10, 2018
ITP is pleased to announce the release of its latest identification tool, Exotic Bee ID. Bees play a critical role in both agricultural and natural ecosystems, but some bee populations are in decline due to habitat loss, [...]
August 15, 2018
August is Tree Check Month because it is an ideal time to check your
trees for signs of the invasive and destructive Asian longhorned beetle (ALB).
ALB is currently restricted to a few small regions of the country, but invasive
species may occur anywhere. We gathered this set of IDaids
to highlight three invasive pests that could be lurking in your [...]
May 30, 2018
Potentially one of the most serious threats to U.S. cherry production,
the European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi, was initially detected
in New York along the Niagara River in 2017. It was previously identified [...]
March 29, 2018
In February of this year,
USDA approved $17.5 million in emergency funding to help
Pennsylvania combat the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula). Plant protection
officials warn this invasive pest can cause substantial economic damage, as it
feeds on a wide variety of host plants and crops, including almonds, apples,
grapes, hops, stone fruits, [...]
February 28, 2018
USDA APHIS PPQ has a variety of pest tracking databases that help facilitate data-driven
decisions for plant health safeguarding. PestLens
is an early-warning system that supports PPQ by collecting and disseminating new information
on exotic plant pests, diseases, and weeds via weekly email notifications. PestLens also
serves as a plant protection [...]
October 27, 2017
The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is native to warm regions of the Western hemisphere.
In the United States, ideal climates in the southern regions of Florida and Texas provide overwintering
habitat, allowing [...]
September 7, 2017
The USDA APHIS ITP team is pleased to announce the latest addition to our mobile app collection: Antkey Mobile. Developed in cooperation with the tool's author, Eli Sarnat, and Australia's Identic team, this app is based on ITP's web-based tool, Antkey [...]
August 30, 2017
As summer starts to fade and autumn approaches, there is much variability in the weather. Some days
are rainy and humid, others are hot and dry, and the nights are noticeably cooler—ideal conditions to
see symptoms of powdery mildew on plants, trees, fruits, or [...]
July 10, 2017
The Acarology Summer Program has been held at Ohio
State University (OSU) for the last 66 years, making it the longest running program for training in identification of
mites and ticks in the world. The 2017 session was held from June 19 through July 7, and it included three workshops.
Introductory Acarology served either as a stand-alone course or [...]
June 27, 2017
The polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB), an ambrosia beetle known as Euwallacea sp., has become a serious pest
in southern California, threatening urban, forest, and agricultural hardwood trees and [...]
