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Oystershell scale: an emerging invasive threat to aspen in the southwestern US

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Abstract

Oystershell scale (OSS; Lepidosaphes ulmi) is an emerging invasive insect that poses a serious threat to conservation of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) in the southwestern US. Although OSS has been an urban pest in the US since the 1700s, it has recently spread into natural aspen stands in northern Arizona, where outbreaks are causing dieback and mortality. We quantified the ongoing outbreak of OSS at two scales: (1) local severity at two sites and (2) regional distribution across northern Arizona. Our regional survey indicated that OSS is widespread in lower elevation aspen stands and is particularly pervasive in ungulate exclosures. Advanced regeneration had the highest levels of infestation and mortality, which is concerning because this size class is an underrepresented component of aspen stands in northern Arizona. If OSS continues to spread and outbreaks result in dieback and mortality like we observed, then aspen in the southwestern US, and perhaps beyond, will be threatened. Three interacting factors contribute to OSS’s potential as a high-impact invasive insect that could spread rapidly: (1) its hypothesized role as a sleeper species, (2) potential interactions between OSS and climate change, and (3) the species’ polyphagous nature. Invasive pests like OSS pose an imminent threat to native tree species and, therefore, represent an immediate research and monitoring priority. We conclude with recommendations for future research and monitoring in order to understand OSS’s biology in natural aspen stands, quantify impacts, limit future spread, and mitigate mortality and loss of aspen and other host species.

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Code availability

R code for analysis of local OSS severity is available as supplemental material (Online Resource 3).

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Acknowledgments

Partial support for this work was provided by the McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research Program and Northern Arizona University’s Presidential Fellowship Program. Suppression funding for treatments on the Coconino and Kaibab NFs has been provided by USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection, Southwestern Region, Arizona Zone. We are immensely grateful for contributions and field support provided by Al Hendricks, Kyle Price, and staff on the Coconino, Kaibab, Prescott, and Apache-Sitgreaves NFs, including Mark Nabel, Mary Price, Elwood Rokala, Michael Sedgeman, Jessi Ouzts, Max Kleir, Josh Giles, Frank Gonzales, Roger Joos, Ben DeBlois, Ben Roe, Ellen Mering, Gayle Richardson, Alex Beauchene, and Justin Bullmore. We would also like to thank Margaret Moore for helping us develop the conceptual basis for this paper and two anonymous reviewers for providing critical feedback that improved this paper.

Funding

Partial support for this work was provided by the McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research Program and Northern Arizona University’s Presidential Fellowship Program. Suppression funding for treatments on the Coconino and Kaibab NFs has been provided by USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection, Southwestern Region, Arizona Zone.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA

    Connor D. Crouch, Richard W. Hofstetter & Kristen M. Waring

  2. Forest Health Protection, USDA Forest Service, Arizona Zone, Flagstaff, AZ, 86001, USA

    Amanda M. Grady, Nicholas P. Wilhelmi & Daniel E. DePinte

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  1. Connor D. Crouch
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  2. Amanda M. Grady
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  3. Nicholas P. Wilhelmi
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  4. Richard W. Hofstetter
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Contributions

CDC and KMW developed the conceptual basis for the manuscript. CDC, KMW, RWH, AMG, and NPW wrote the initial draft. CDC, AMG, and NPW conducted the formal analysis. CDC, RWH, AMG, NPW, and DED created figures, illustrations, or maps for the manuscript. All authors contributed to development of the OSS rating protocol, reviewed and provided critical feedback on the initial draft, revised the manuscript, and approved the final draft.

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Correspondence to Connor D. Crouch.

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All authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Data availability

Data analyzed in this paper will be made available upon request. Forest Service materials including the Pest Event Reports (FHP 2018, 2019) and the Prescott NF stand certification (Fairweather 1992) will also be made available upon request.

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Crouch, C.D., Grady, A.M., Wilhelmi, N.P. et al. Oystershell scale: an emerging invasive threat to aspen in the southwestern US. Biol Invasions 23, 2893–2912 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-021-02545-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-021-02545-0

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