Spruce aphid (Elatobium abietinum Wal)

Observation: In Seldovia we had heard about how Homer had been hit with the Spruce Aphid pretty hard and that it was like every other tree was turning brown in Homer. But while out clam digging in Kasitsna Bay it was noticed that the trees on the shore side were losing needles and turning brown. Then throughout the summer as I was traveling back and forth between Homer and Seldovia you could see more trees turning brown. A few trees in Seldovia itself were dropping needles and turning brown pretty quickly. In the winter of 2016-2017 we have had a good bit of cold weather so we are hoping that the aphids will be slowed down a bit. The shore side trees are usually the trees that are protecting everything behind them from the big winds. With those trees losing their needles and letting more wind through there is more chance I am guessing to see more wind damage to the trees.

LEO says: An aphid infestation was first posted on May 15, 2015 from Kake, Alaska. Edna Jackson, Organized Village of Kake write, "We had 2-3 warm winters which encouraged the aphids to multiply. In looking at the tree photos, you can see where the needles dropped off and haven’t recovered." About three and half weeks later, on May 28, 2016 an aphid damage observation was posted out of Nuka Passage located in the north Pacific Ocean coastline of the Kenai Peninsula. See presentation Aphids, Caterpillars, and Moths, OH MY!by Jessie Moan to the LEO Network on March 21, 2017.

National Forest Service Consult Elizabeth Graham writes:"We were just down in Homer last week surveying for spruce aphids and the good news is that we only found dead ones. The photo below shows a branch, the black spots are all dead aphids. The winter did a great job of knocking down the population. That doesn’t mean they’re eradicated from the area but hopefully this will give the trees time to recover! April 18, 2017

Resources:

Spruce Aphid, a Non-native Species, Continues to Spread Across Coastal Alaskan Forests – Briefing Paper, Technical Lead, Elizabeth Graham, Entomologist documents, "A notable expansion of its range has occurred over the last few years. Significant defoliation of Sitka spruce was found on the Kenai Peninsula and on the Kodiak Archipelago. The spruce aphid, is a non-native and invasive species that causes significant damage to Sitka spruce. It has been a persistent pest in Southeast Alaska since the 1960s. Spruce aphids actively feed in winter months and their populations are constrained by cold temperatures. Warming climate may be a contributing factor to the recent range expansion." Source: USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection, Juneau, AK