Hemlock Woolly Adelgid

 Highlighted Species: Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Adelges tsugae Hemiptera: Adelgidae

Figure 1: Cotton-like masses on the bases of hemlock needles. (NYIS.info 2019)

About:

    The Hemlock Wooly Adelgid (HWA) is an introduced pest of Eastern Hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) and Carolina Hemlocks (Tsuga caroliniana) and has rapidly spread in the decades since its arrival from Asia. Hemlocks are an important tree component to many forest ecosystems, and the decline of hemlock-dense areas creates major impacts for these ecosystems. 

    The HWA is a tiny, soft-bodied insect which feeds on the sap of the trees at their needles and stems, causing branch and crown dieback, needle drop, and susceptibility to other diseases. The adult insect lays its egg masses at the bases of hemlock needles, covering them with a visible “cotton” like mass. These “wooly” clusters are visible without a hand lens and will be found on the undersides of branches. The HWA spreads by wind, animals, and human assisted movement. 

Figures 2-4: The author's manicure is posed with an Eastern Hemlock Branch. (Naterpillar, 2024).

Design Notes:

    This design features a sienna background with white, dappled masses representing the wooly egg clusters of HWA. Nat poses her nails with a branch of Eastern Hemlock, the host plant of the HWA.

Figure 5: A detail shot of the HWA manicure. (Naterpillar, 2024). 

Resources:

Childs, Robert. (2022, December). Hemlock Woolly Adelgid.     UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery, and Urban Forestry     Program. https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/fact-     sheets/hemlock-woolly-adelgid

Division of Lands and Forests. (2024). Hemlock Woolly     Adelgid. Department of Environmental Conservation.      https://dec.ny.gov/nature/animals-fish-plants/insects-and-     other-species/hemlock-woolly-adelgid

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. (2019, July 2). New York Invasive     Species (IS) Information.     https://nyis.info/invasive_species/hemlock-woolly-adelgid/