National Invasive Species Awareness Week: Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae)

Today’s Invasive Species Awareness post features the small, fuzzy, insect that is a threat to our local hemlock forests, the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae). This species hits home as it was first found in our local, beloved Cook Forest State Park in March of 2013. Eastern Hemlock trees are also our state tree here in Pennsylvania and a common species to find in forests across Clarion County. Check out this post to learn more!

Check out this video by the PA Parks and Forests Foundation on Hemlock Wooly Adelgid in Cook Forest State Park:

https://paparksandforests.org/support/special-funding-initiatives/eradicate-the-hemlock-woolly-adelgid/

An article from Explore Clarion in 2017 regarding the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid:

https://www.exploreclarion.com/2017/07/27/ancient-hemlocks-of-cook-forest-under-attack/

More info: https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/Conservation/ForestsAndTrees/InsectsAndDiseases/HemlockWoollyAdelgid/Pages/default.aspx

https://extension.psu.edu/hemlock-woolly-adelgid

Photos:

1. Limbu et al. 2018, Journal of Integrated Pest Management. Entomology Today, https://entomologytoday.org/2019/02/07/little-fuzzy-not-cute-hemlock-woolly-adelgid/ Accessed 1 March 2022.

2. “Hemlock Woolly Adelgid”. 2017. Bluestone National Scenic River West Virginia. National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/blue/learn/nature/hemlock-woolly-adelgid.htm Accessed 1 March 2022.