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Black sooty mold is one of the major issues with heavy crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS; Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae) infestation, which greatly reduces the aesthetic value of host plants. Black sooty mold can be seen not only on crapemyrtles (Lagerstroemia spp.) but also on alternative hosts infested with CMBS such as American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) and pomegranates (Punica granatum) (Figure 1). Sooty mold is a collective term that comprises of several genera of fungi including Aureobasidium, Antennariella, Cladosporium, Capnodium, Limacinula, and Scorias [1]. These fungi grow on the honeydew secreted by sucking insects (such as CMBS nymphs) when they are actively feeding on the plant [2,3]. Figure 1. Black sooty mold found on pomegranate (Punica granatum; A and B), American beautyberry (Callicarpa ...

Crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS) poses a huge threat to the utility of crapemyrtle trees by reducing aesthetic value due to sooty mold growth and disrupting photosynthesis. Currently, most homeowners and nursery producers rely on chemical insecticides to manage CMBS populations, but these pesticides can negatively impact natural enemies, pollinators, and the environment at large. Different management approaches are being investigated to reduce the reliance on insecticides, particularly systemic insecticides to reduce CMBS populations and damage. When insects feed on plants, the plants emit a blend of volatile odors; ‘smell’s that are released into the air. One function of these volatile odors is to attract predators to attack the herbivores. Multiple species of lady beetles present already in landscapes are attacking ...

We are offering a 4-part webinar focusing on systematic crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS) management strategies. CMBS has been confirmed in all Southeastern states except Florida and as north as Kansas and Washington. It has significantly affected landscape and aesthetic value of crapemyrtle plants. Hope you can join us for all parts of the webinars. Attendees are asked to pre-register. Webinar recordings will be made available shortly after the webinars are live. See below for a general schedule of the webinars; stay tuned for more information in the near future. May 27, 2020: Feeding preference of Lagerstroemia (Crapemyrtle), Punica (pomegranate), and Callicarpa (beautyberry) taxa; consumer and grower preference survey. See below for recording: June 24, 2020: Mechanical control and biopesticides to ...

Tune in today, Friday March 27th, at 11 am CST, for an online webinar hosted by North Carolina State University (Stacey Jones) on crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS); the invasive insect pest of crapemyrtles. The presenter will be Erfan Vafaie, covering the introduction, spread, population dynamics, and management of crapemyrtle bark scale for landscapers, nursery growers, and homeowners. Presentation co-authors include Dr. Mengmeng Gu, Dr. Mike Merchant, Dr. John Hopkins, Dr. James A. Robbins, Dr. Yan Chen, Dr. Kevin Heinz, Kyle Gilder, and Kenneth Masloski. The PowerPoint presentation and PDF is already available on our website for download: https://stopcmbs.com/resources/presentations/ The presentation will be recorded and made available for viewing; visit this page in the near future to get an update on ...

Additional contributors to this article include: Dr. Rodrigo Diaz, Dr. Yan Chen, Dr. Blake Wilson, and Dr. Vinson Doyle. Current crapemyrtle bark scale management methods depend heavily on pesticides, which can have a negative impact on beneficial insects. Biopesticides, insecticides that are developed from live organisms, have shown potential for managing several pests and have low impact on non-target insects and other organisms. The objectives of this research were to determine (1) if biopesticides can be used as a management tool to suppress crapemyrtle bark scale in different seasons, and (2) effects towards beneficial lady beetles known to attack crapemyrtle bark scale. For those interested, here as some details as to how we designed our trial. Treatments were applied as ...

In Overton, Texas, we're about done tying up crapemyrtles, getting them on drip irrigation, and starting pre-assessments. We have a total of 100 standard (Queen's Lace) and 100 dwarf (Pocomoke) cultivars, all highly infested with crapemyrtle bark scale, for our research trial. Before deciding what insecticides and timing of applications we would try, we had to summarize some of our past results. All of our past work on crapemyrtle bark scale insecticide trials are available through Arthropod Management Tests (https://academic.oup.com/amt and search for "crapemyrtle bark scale"). If you're feeling a bit intimidated by the papers in Arthropod Management Tests, I made a short video tutorial walking through some of the jargon used in insecticide efficacy work. The following table is ...

The crapemyrtle bark scale team started 2019 off with an afternoon session at GSHE in Mobile, Alabama on January 30, 2019. Attendees included landscapers, growers, regulators and other researchers. Some of the topics covered included new crapemyrtle cultivars, common pests and pathogens of crapemyrtles, management of crapemyrtle bark scale in the landscape and nursery, and alternative plant hosts of crapemyrtle bark scale. The PDFs of the presentations can be downloaded from the Presentations page ...

Dr. Mengmeng Gu and collaborators have recently been awarded a 4-year $3.3 M grant from the USDA to tackle the crapemyrtle bark scale. The research involved collaborators all across the USA. The project will determine the population cycles of crapemyrtle bark scale, best management practices, biological control options, and even insecticide residue testing. See AgriLife Today press release for more information: http://isatexas.com/crape-myrtle-bark-scale-to-be-targeted-by-3-3-million-grant-to-texas-am-agrilife-extension/ ...

Welcome to the crapemyrtle bark scale resource website. Here we will house information on research being conducted within the USA on the biology, population cycles, plant hosts, and management strategies as we learn about it. Subscribe to our RSS feed to get updates as they come along ...