Global Plant Protection News

I am posting a  message from USDA Forest Service, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada on a new the release of Sawfly GenUS, Edition 1.

ITP collaborators: Washington State Department of Agriculture, USDA Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA Forest Service, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Authors:  Quinlyn Baine, Chris Looney, David R. Smith, Nathan M. Schiff, Henri Goulet, and Amanda J. Redford

Available at: https://idtools.org/id/sawfly/

USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine’s Identification Technology Program (ITP) is pleased to announce the release of Sawfly GenUS, Edition 1.  Sawflies are a unique group of wasp-like herbivorous insects, many of which are economic pests in North America.  While most sawflies generally maintain low population densities, some species can be prone to outbreaks that cause considerable economic damage. Invasive species are of particular concern to land managers, horticulturists, and farmers, as sawflies can potentially pose a significant threat outside their native range.  Sawflies have been documented entering the U.S. via wood packing material and nursery stock, leading to several established pests.

Prior to this tool, there was no comprehensive, up-to-date resource to help identify native and exotic sawfly fauna in North America.  Sawfly GenUS is designed for identification of all sawfly genera found in the United States and Canada and it includes a variety of resources to support screening and identification for experts and non-specialists alike. The first edition covers genera in ten sawfly families, as well as the species of Sirex.

Please find the attached PDF announcement to see an overview of ITP’s newest identification tool for PPQ and its partners. Please also feel free to forward this email or the attachment to your colleagues.

Sawfly GenUS can be accessed at: https://idtools.org/id/sawfly/.  

Visit our website to learn more about ITP’s tools and mobile apps.

Interested in assisting ITP with tool development by being a beta reviewer for an upcoming ITP tool?  We are seeking to increase our pool of beta reviewers for a variety of pest groups.  Beta reviewers can be experts or non-specialists.  Please contact us at itp@usda.gov

If you did not receive this email directly from ITP, and you would like to be included in future ITP announcement emails, please send a request to itp@usda.gov. You can also unsubscribe from the list by emailing us.

Cheers, Amanda

Amanda Redford

USDA APHIS PPQ S&T

Biological Scientist | Identification Technology Program

2301 Research Blvd, Suite 108 | Fort Collins, CO 80526 | p 970-490-4477

amanda.j.redford@usda.gov | https://idtools.org