Media contacts: Jennifer Holton, MDARD, 517-284-5724
Joanne Foreman, MDNR, 517-284-5814

This is Michigan’s first detection of this invasive bug

LANSING, Mich. – Yesterday, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Director Gary McDowell confirmed the state’s first detection of spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) in Michigan. A small population of spotted lanternfly was detected in Pontiac in Oakland County last week with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirming the finding on August 10.

“Although not unexpected, this is certainly tough news to share due to its potential to for it to negatively impact Michigan’s grape industry,” said McDowell. “Spotted lanternfly has been moving closer to the state over the last few years. MDARD, along with our state, local and federal partners, has been working tirelessly to inform and educate growers and the public about this highly invasive insect.”

Spotted lanternfly is an invasive plant hopper native to eastern Asia. First found in the United States in 2014 in southeastern Pennsylvania, spotted lanternfly has spread rapidly through the eastern states. Confirmed observations of spotted lanternfly have since been recorded in Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Read more

A male Santa Marta Sabrewing photographed on territory by Yurgen Vega (SELVA ProCAT archives).
The rediscovery of the Santa Marta Sabrewing is being celebrated by birders, ornithologists, and conservationists around the world. An experienced local birder in Colombia found and documented a male Santa Marta Sabrewing, a relatively large hummingbird only found in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains. It’s only the second time the species has been documented since it was first described in 1946; the last sighting was in 2010, when researchers were able to take the first-ever photos of the species in the wild.

The Santa Marta Sabrewing is so rare and elusive that it is considered one of the rarest birds in the world.“This sighting was a complete surprise, but a very welcome one,” said Yurgen Vega, who made the rediscovery while studying endemic birds in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. “As I was leaving the area where I had been working, a hummingbird caught my attention. I looked with my binoculars and was shocked to see that it was a Santa Marta Sabrewing! And in an incredible stroke of luck the hummingbird perched on a branch, giving me time to take photos and video of it.”Vega made the rediscovery while working with SELVA, ProCAT Colombia, and the World Parrot Trust to study endemic birds in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is the world’s tallest coastal mountain massif and home to rich communities of wildlife, including 24 species of birds that are found nowhere else. Read more

August is a great time to enjoy the outdoors, and it’s also the best time to spot the invasive Asian longhorned beetle as adults emerge from trees. That’s why the U.S. Department of Agriculture is declaring August as “Tree Check Month.” Checking trees for the beetle and the damage it causes is one way you can protect trees and help the USDA’s efforts to eliminate this beetle from the United States.

The Michigan departments of Agriculture and Rural Development; Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; and Natural Resources are joining the USDA in asking people to take just 10 minutes this month to check trees around homes for the beetle or any signs of damage.

The Asian longhorned beetle, or ALB for short, is a non-native wood-boring beetle considered invasive in North America because it attacks 12 types of hardwood trees, including maples, elms, horse chestnuts, birches and willows. Here, there are no predators or diseases to keep ALB populations in check. In its larval stage, the insect feeds inside tree trunks and branches during the colder months. The beetle creates tunnels as it feeds, and then it chews its way out as an adult in the warmer months.

Infested trees do not recover and eventually die. They also can become safety hazards since branches can drop and trees can fall, especially during storms.

You can help

Although this invasive beetle has not yet been discovered in Michigan, it is crucial we keep an eye out for it. Discovering early signs of infestation can prevent widespread damage to the state’s forest resources, urban landscapes and maple syrup production. Read more

It’s berry season for birds; does your yard offer native foods for a variety of species, such as this California Scrub Jay? (photo by Paul Konrad)

(Photo Credit: Darcy Daniels)

New Research to Address Declines Linked to Roost Sites

The NWTF is funding a new wild turkey research project in the Texas Rolling Plains Ecoregion, located in the north-central part of the state.

The project will help the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department better understand changes in available roosting habitat over the last 20 years and how roost sites are negatively impacted by encroaching invasive vegetative species, like Russian olive and salt cedar. The research will utilize state-of-the-art imaging techniques to classify over 20 years of landscape-scale data. It will also provide insight into future management needs, helping slow the spread of invasive species and bolstering Rio populations in the region.

“TPWD, NWTF and Texas A&M University are collaborating to take a closer look at larger landscape habitat changes,” said Jason Hardin, TPWD wild turkey program leader and co-chair of the NWTF Technical Committee. “The focus of this work is on the potential loss of wild turkey roosting cover, primarily cottonwood trees in the Rolling Plains, which may have been exacerbated by the 2011 drought. These partners will examine changes in brush cover along the riparian corridors where wild turkeys are primarily found in the Rolling Plains. TPWD and NWTF have a keen interest in finding answers so that we can provide management options to landowners in this historic stronghold for wild turkeys.”

(Photo Credit: Darcy Daniels)

The Rolling Plains region is characterized by its gently rolling open-country landscape, interspersed with rivers and streams. The waterways (riparian areas) provide essential habitat for the Rio Grande wild turkeys that inhabit the area. These riparian areas, however, are where much of roosting habitat is diminishing.
With no shortage of predators in the region, Rio Grande wild turkeys are particular about their roost sites. Rios like to roost in large trees, both in diameter and height. Previous research found the birds’ average preferred roost tree size was about 45 feet tall and about 23 inches in diameter.

What’s more, even if trees fit the size preference for Rios, if invasive brush has taken hold, Rios will often avoid roosting in those trees, likely to avoid predators lurking in the brush. The brush is also poor for the overall health of trees like the cottonwood. The woody vegetation encompasses the tree, competing for water and nutrients and making the trees more susceptible to damage from fire and other disturbances. Read more

Photo: Example of a rabies bait blister pack Image courtesy Vermont Department of Health

Distribution of baited rabies vaccine for wildlife to take place August 5 – 13

BURLINGTON, VT – The annual Rabies Bait Drop is scheduled to begin on August 5, 2022. The week-long bait drop is part of a nationally coordinated effort between the State of Vermont and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to prevent the spread of rabies – a fatal disease.

Rabies vaccine — in the form of a sweet-smelling oral bait that is attractive to raccoons and skunks — will be dropped in rural areas of Vermont from low-flying aircraft and placed by hand in residential centers. Pilots are able to control the release of bait in order to avoid residential areas. When an animal bites into the bait, it takes in the oral vaccine and will develop immunity to rabies. Approximately 450,000 quarter-sized blister packs containing rabies vaccine will be distributed in nearly 100 Vermont communities across 8 counties.

State Epidemiologist Patsy Kelso with the Department of Health said the annual bait drop represents the best in state and federal cooperation. “This is public health at work,” said Kelso. “The bait drop is an important part of our work to curb the risk of rabies in animals and humans. We value this years-long partnership with the Fish and Wildlife Department and USDA Wildlife Services in protecting the health of Vermonters.”

Rabies is a deadly viral disease of the brain that infects mammals. Rabies is most often seen in raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats, but unvaccinated pets and livestock can also get the disease. The virus is spread primarily through the bite of an infected animal. If a rabies exposure is left untreated, the disease is almost always fatal in humans and animals. However, treatment is 100% effective when given soon after a person is bitten by a rabid animal. Read more