Gold Spotted Oak Borer

The goldspotted oak borer (GSOB), Agrilus auroguttatus is a flat headed borer that poses a significant threat to oak trees. The pest is native to southeastern Arizona and was first identified in California in 2004 in San Diego County. It has since been killing trees throughout San Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange Counties in forests, parks, and residential landscapes.

GSOB larvae feed beneath the bark near the vascular tissue in the older, mature trees.  Trees die after several years of injury inflicted by multiple generations of the beetle, causing significant economic, ecological, cultural, and aesthetic losses to the region. GSOB poses a major threat to susceptible oak species (Coast Live Oak, Canyon Live Oak, and California Black Oak) throughout California and southern Oregon. Currently there are no effective tools for protecting trees once infestation occurs.

We have placed GSOB traps, in accordance with USDA and CDFA, throughout Santa Barbara county focusing on placing them in campgrounds where infected firewood may introduce GSOB. Our hope is that if any GSOB are in our county, that the traps will catch them during the flight season May-September. More info can be found here: http://ucanr.edu/sites/gsobinfo/

Mature GSOB to scale.  Photo UC Cooperative Extension.

Lateral view of GSOB.  Photo CISR- Center for Invasive Species Research, UC Riverside.

D-shaped  exit holes (3-4 mm).  Photo UC Cooperative Extension.

Live Oak being removed after succumbing to GSOB in Southern CA.  Photo CISR- Center for Invasive Species Research, UC Riverside.

 GSOB trap placed in Santa Barbara County for the 2019 trapping season.  Photo-Mel Graham, Santa Barbara County Ag Commissioner's Office.

Lookout for Spotted Lanternfly

An exotic pest known as the spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (White), is native to China and was first detected in Pennsylvania in September 2014. It has not yet arrived in California, but has been spreading rapidly across the eastern US. 

Spotted lanternfly is actually not a fly, but a planthopper and is also referred to as “spot clothing wax cicada” or “Chinese blistering cicada”. This species is significant because the spotted lanternfly feeds on more than 70 host species including a wide range of fruit, ornamental and woody trees, with tree-of-heaven being one of the preferred hosts. Spotted lanternflies are invasive and can be spread long distances by people who move infested material or items containing egg masses.

If allowed to spread in the United States, this pest could seriously impact the country’s grape, walnuts, avocados, and pistachios, and logging industries. The California Department of Food and Agriculture has awarded funding for one project to develop biological control agents to help manage the spread of the spotted lanternfly.

To prevent the spread of the spotted lanternfly, carefully inspect potential sources such as woody plant debris, yard waste, plants, or other objects.  Destroy or disinfest the sources as appropriate to prevent the spread of the pest.

Detailed information on this pest can be found here: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/pests-diseases/hungry-pests/the-threat/spotted-lanternfly/spotted-lanternfly

Lateral view of a resting adult spotted lanternfly. Photo Credit: Lawrence Barringer.

Dorsal view of an adult female spotted lanternfly. The colorful hindwings and the black and yellow abdomen are not visible at rest. Photo Credit: Lawrence Barringer.

Fourth instar nymph of the spotted lanternfly. Photo by Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Adult spotted lanternfly infestations.  Photo by Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Welcome to the Santa Barbara County IPM Blog!

This is our first ever post!  What a great way to help share information with Santa Barbara County growers.  Our hope it that we can share up-to-date information about pest pressures, current issues, management options, research, and more with you.  Please comment if there are specific topics that you would like more information about.😃