The pine Tent Caterpiller (Thaumetopoea pityocampa)

A moth of the family Thaumetopoeidae. Sometimes placed in the genus Traumatocampa, it is one of the most destructive species to pines and cedars in Central Asia, North Africa and the countries of southern Europe.
The urticating hairs of the caterpillar larvae cause harmful reactions in humans and other mammals. The species is notable for the behaviour of its caterpillars, which overwinter in tent-like nests high in pine trees, and which proceed through the woods in nose-to-tail columns, protected by their severely irritating hairs as described by the French entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre.

LIFE CYCLE:
Though most pine processionary moths only live one year, some in high altitudes or more northern areas may survive for over two years. The adult moths lay their eggs near the tops of pine trees. After hatching, the larva eat pine needles while progressing through five stages of development. In order to maintain beneficial living conditions, silken nests are built over the winter. Around the beginning of April, the caterpillars leave the nests in the procession for which the species is known. They burrow underground and emerge at the end of summer.[3] High numbers of adults are produced in years with a warm spring.

The eggs are laid in cylindrical bodies ranging from 4 cm to 5 cm in length. The eggs are covered with scales which come from the female and mimic pine shoots.[3]

The larva is a major forest pest, living communally in large “tents”, usually in pine trees but occasionally in cedar or larch, marching out at night in single file (hence the common name) to feed on the needles. There are often several such tents in a single tree. When they are ready to pupate, the larvae march in their usual fashion to the ground, where they disperse to pupate singly on or just below the surface.

The moth’s pupal stage occurs in a white silken cocoon under soil. The pupae measure around 20 mm and are a pale brownish-yellow color that changes into a dark reddish brown.

As an adult, T. pityocampa has predominately light brown forewings with brown markings. The moth’s hind-wings are white. Females have larger wingspans of 36 to 49 mm, compared to a male’s 31 to 39 mm.[3] Adults only live for a single day, when they mate and lay eggs. How far they are able to spread depends on how far the female is able to fly during her short time as an adult. Her average flying distance is 1.7 km, with a maximum recorded of 10.5 km. The species flies from May to July

(Including Nantucket tip moth)
Nantucket; Rhyacionia frustra  (moth)

Their larvae are Yellow to light brown, 3/8 in. long. While the adults are small moth, 1/2 in wingspread; reddish brown with silver gray markings.

Most pines are their hosts, 2-3 needle pines (longleaf and slash) have some resistance.

They are found throughout the United States

Dry weather, poor soil conditions and poor stands all contribute to infestations.

The tips of terminals and laterals killed by larvae boring deep into base of needles, buds, and then into twigs. Some pines may be killed back to a foot below terminal or lateral growth. Young pines can be seriously deformed and occasionally die.

They overwintering pupae in damaged terminals and laterals and in litter on the ground. Usually in early April, moths emerge and continue emerging until June. Moths lay eggs on needles, buds, and shoots of new growth. Egg incubation period ranges from 1-3 weeks, depending on weather and temperature. Newly hatched larvae feed on surface of new growth and later migrate to shoot tips, make a web, and bore into bud and stem tissues, where they feed 3-4 weeks. Pupation is in channels made by larvae. For example, there are 1-4 generations per year: One (1) in New York; Pennsylvania, 2; Virginia, 3; Georgia and California.

Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. (disease caused by)

Proper identification of the nematodes is important. A laboratory test is necessary to confirm this disease.

 The pinewood nematode causes the disease Pine Wilt. Scots, Austrian and Japanese black pines are the most susceptible. It has also been found in other types of needle evergreens such as larch, balsam fir, spruce and deodar and Atlas cedar.

North America, Europe, Mexico, Japan and throughout Asia.

symptomd on most pines infected in the spring are often dead by late summer to early fall. Large trees may take two years to die. Vigor of plant does not seem to have a bearing on which plants become infected. Infected plants quickly become stunted. Foliage begins to fade to an off green or slightly yellowish color before turning brown. Dead needles hang on to the branches for a long time. On large trees that take two years to die, the older needles turn yellow first and fall off before the younger needles turn brown. These symptoms can occur any time midsummer to late fall or late winter to spring. Trees infected in the fall do not break bud the following spring. Pines under stress are more likely to be killed by the pinewood nematode.

LIFE CYCLE:

Pine sawyer beetles (Monochamus carolinensis) which are native longhorns, are known          to transmit this nematode. The nematode can take between four and twelve days to go from egg to adult depending on temperature. Females lay dozen of eggs over several weeks before          dying themselves. The nematode breeds fairly rapidly and sometimes, in association with bacteria, quickly causes the vascular tissue to plug, killing the tree. The nematode alone can cause the tree to die. The nematode feeds on plant tissue or fungal mycelium such as blue stain canker mycelium.

Nalanthamala vermoeseni (previously called Penicillium vermoeseni or Gliocladium vermoeseni).

This Disease is the result of a weak but opportunistic pathogen, pink rot primarily is a secondary disease that affects stressed or weakened palms. While it can attack all parts of a palm, it is most problematic in the growing tips, or apical meristem where new leaves are produced, and in newly emerged leaves.
Pink rot affects nearly all outdoor landscape and indoor palms in California, including king palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana), bamboo palms (Chamaedorea species), some date palms, Chinese windmill palm, kentia palm (Howea forsteriana), queen palm, and California and Mexican fan palms.

A variety of symptoms characterizes pink rot, including spotting and rotting along rachis and leaves; rotting along leaf tips, leaf bases and trunks; and stunting and distortion of new leaves. Trunk rot is possible in some cases. Pinkish spore masses, from which the disease derives its name, often are present. A brownish syrupy fluid also might be present. Infected plants weaken and decline and eventually can die.

Cultural or environmental conditions can stress or weaken palms, making them susceptible to pink rot. These conditions include: Palms planted too deeply, Transplanted palms, Excessive irrigation, Poor drainage, Poorly aerated root zones, Improper nutrition, Pest infestations and other diseases and disorders, Cold weather or freeze damage, and Poorly adapted species.
Although not always necessary for disease development, wounds facilitate pathogen entry and increase infection risks. High humidity and temperatures of 65° to 80°F favor the pathogen and disease development.

Like diamond scale, disease severity frequently is cyclical in large, established palms. For example, the pathogen can infect growing tips and spear leaves, the youngest leaves that have not yet unfolded, during the cooler, moist weather of winter and spring when leaf production and growth are slow. This is especially true of the California fan palm. As weather warms in late spring and early summer and the winter-produced spear leaves push out and unfold, you can see the damage even though the disease no longer is active. The palm then produces an abundance of disease-free leaves during vigorous summer and fall growth. As leaf production and growth slow in the winter, the disease becomes more active again. This cyclical nature and the manner in which palms produce leaves sequentially in the crown often results in a distinctive pattern of a few damaged leaves regularly distributed among otherwise healthy ones.

Pink rot is closely associated with queen palm and California fan palm, especially those growing near the coast, causing spots and rot on leaves and growing tips and sometimes leading to death. It also can cause trunk decay and cavities in king palm, although its role in causing these symptoms on queen palm and other species is unconfirmed. Pink rot is unusually problematic on bamboo palms in nurseries and indoors where it causes leaf and trunk rot, bleeding, wilt, and death.

Asterolecanium variolosum (soft scales), A. quercicola, A. minus

Adults are small, round or oval. Golden, green, or brown, respectively. They are found in pits on bark. While crawlers are very small, yellow, seldom far removed from adult.

White and black oaks are favored and found throughout Eastern and Western United States and must have the proper host.

Sunken pits are seen in bark of twigs and limbs where adult is feeding; dieback of twigs and branches. Continual heavy infestation may kill the tree.

There is one generation annually. Adults overwinter on twigs, and produce living young during spring and summer. Crawlers seldom far from parent, generally colonizing on current season and one-year old wood. After settling to feed, nymphs never leave that site. Maturity is attained several months after feeding begins.

 Xylella fastidiosa.
The bacterium clogs water-conducting xylem cells and is
associated with a leaf scald.

Symptoms begin as a fading or bronzing along the margins or tips of leaves. Leaf tissue soon dies and becomes a dry brown. Leaves may die inward from the margin in several steps. The symptoms may begin on a single branch, but eventually the entire tree will be affected. Symptomatic leaves will drop in late summer.
Additional symptoms include,  of these are; nutrient deficiency or toxicity, drought stress, herbicide poisoning, root death or a delayed reaction to winter cold damage.

Infected peach and plum trees bloom several days earlier than healthy trees and tend to hold their leaves later into the fall.
Early in July, because of shortened internodes, infected peach trees appear more compact, leafier, and darker green than normal trees.

This diesease is widespread throughout North America.
The pathogen is spread by leafhoppers and high populations of leafhopper vectors contibute to heavy infections.

Potassium in soil is available to the plant as a salt.
Potassium is an essential element for plants . Carbohydrates form only when potassium is readily available and is apparently  essential for starch formation. Potassium is needed for meristematic activity.

Symptoms on broadleaf plants are marginal and interveinal chlorosis followed by scorching inwardly between the main veins to include the entire leaf, starting with older leaves; leaves may                 crinkle and roll upward. Shoot tips die back late in the season; shoots from lateral buds have a zigzag growth that is short and brushy. Few flower buds form. Fruit is small with poor color.

Symptoms on Conifers are the oldest foliage is dark blue-green, progressing to yellow and reddish-brown necrosis occurs finally at needle tips. Needle retention is poor with needles                 stunted. Short, thick, and abundant buds form. Frost injury is common

(Including Hackberry Psyllid, see also Lerp Psyllids see)

Gall-making: Pachypsylla spp. (psyllid), P. celtidismamma (nipple gall maker).

Non Gall-making have many species.

There eggs are very small, shape and color vary with species. and nymphs have Piercing/sucking mouth parts, color varies. The adults are both sexes winged, hind legs made for jumping, like a tiny cicada (similar to tiny cicada).

 Psyllids have many host plants located throughout the United States

Rapidly growing young foliage seem to be the attractant.

 For the Gall-makers, Galls produced on buds, leaves and twigs. On hackberry, both blister and nipple galls are small (1/8 inch) and raised 1/2 inch above the leaf surface. Nipple galls can cause premature leaf drop and for the Non Gall-makers: leaf cupping, honey dew and sooty mold occur.

Gall-makers overwinter as adults in crevices or rough bark, or inside houses. One generation each year with mating and egg-laying for a few weeks when new leaves unfold. Eggs hatch within 7-10 days, and nymphs begin to feed on leaves. At each site a cup or gall of plant growth envelop nymphs. There they live throughout the summer, emerging as adults in late summer. Bud gall psyllid adults emerge from galls on leaf buds in late spring. Eggs are laid on leaves and newly-hatched nymphs feed on new buds, where galls are formed. Nymphs reach fifth instar by fall and remain in galls until spring.

Non Gall-makers over winter on twigs as nymphs and develop on expanding leaves. Adults appear in late spring and lay eggs in early summer. Adults of some species may survive overwinter.

Dendroctonus valens (red turpentine beetle), D. terebrans (black turpentine beetle)

The Larvae are small, creamy white, segmented; feed out through inner bark in mass formation, producing a cavity from a few square inches to more than a square foot between the bark and wood; cavities filled with resinous fluid.  While the adults body are stout, 1/4-3/8 in. long, head is broad and without a frontal groove.

Red turpentine beetle (D. valens) or black turpentine beetle (D. terebrans). They both attack bases of healthy, dying, injured, or felled trees and stumps.

Egg galleries are Irregular, longitudinal, a few inches to several feet long, packed with frass in which eggs are laid.

Most all pines are susceptible and occasionally fir, larch, and spruce.

The Red Turpentine Beetles are found throughout western and northeastern United States and southern Canada;

While the Black Turpentine Beetles are found to be in the Southeastern United States along the Atlantic coast.

Drought, low vigor, overcrowding, injuries and nutrient deficiencies contribute to attacks.

Easily noticed are the pitch tube on base of stem, crumbling resinous frass on ground at root crown; reddening of individual branches.

There are one or more generations per year. Heaviest attacks in mid-summer; overwinter as larvae and adults in trees and stumps attacked previous season. In southern range, all stages present any season of the year. Adults occur within pupal cells constructed in the boring dust of the brood chamber or in short mines along its margin.

REDWOOD (Sequoia, Sequoiadendron), CEDAR, and CYPRESS (Cupressus)  BARK BEETLE
Phleosinus sp. and others (beetle)

Also see;
Mountain Pine Beetles, Pine Engraver Beetles, Pine Bark Beetles, Western Pine Beetles, Cedar Bark Beetles, Cypress Bark Beetle, Juniper Bark Beetle

Larvae are small, white, narrow, short, segmented.
Adults are red-brown to black, shiny, ranging from 1/8-3/8 in. long; rows of teeth at rear of front wings; antennae 5-jointed clubs with oblique depressions.
Their Egg galleries are short, longitudinal with little or no branching, becoming confused with heavy infestations, arising from single entrance hole; larval chambers extend laterally.

All species of Cedrus, Chamaecyparis, Cryptomeria, Cupressus, Juniperus, Libocedrus, Sequoia, Sequoiadendron, Taxodium, and Thuja are hosts.

They are found in the throughout the United States and Canada.
Poor sites, drought, nutritional deficiencies, wounding, and root impaction all contribute.

Twigs yellowing, browning, wilting at tips and hanging; egg and larval galleries immediately under bark; small droplets of pitch below feeding areas on twigs and stems on some species. Host trees usually weak on poor sites or under stress. Trees killed by infestations.

Adults attack all upper parts of weak, dying or dead trees, or broken branches while others attack other portions of trees. Prior to constructing egg galleries, adults feed on healthy twigs, branches and stems, girdling them until water and nutrient flow is stopped. Egg burrows made by adults working in pairs. Eggs uniformly spaced along sides of burrows. Larvae feed laterally from one egg gallery. Attacks in spring and summer, with 1 1/2 generations per year but may attack during other times of stresses.