Invasive Species

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A poster showing Formosan termite swarmers, soldiers, and workers.
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Destructive Termite Alert

June 26, 2023
By Lauren Fordyce
The Formosan subterranean termite (FST), Coptotermes formosanus, is a very destructive pest first reported in California in 1992 in La Mesa, San Diego County. FST has since been found in Canyon Lake, Riverside County, Rancho Santa Fe (San Diego County) and Highland Park (Los Angeles County).
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Adult goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus, on an oak leaf. Photo by Mike Lewis, Center for Invasive Species Research, Bugwood.org
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Invasive Spotlight: Goldspotted Oak Borer (GSOB)

June 7, 2023
By Lauren Fordyce
There are several flatheaded boring beetles in California, however only a few are of particular concern. The goldspotted oak borer (GSOB), Agrilus auroguttatus, is a metallic wood-boring beetle that threatens our native trees.
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Spotted lanternfly adult. Photo by Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org
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Invasive Spotlight: Spotted Lanternfly

June 6, 2023
By Lauren Fordyce
The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive pest that poses a great threat to California's agriculture. It was first discovered in the U.S. in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has since taken the east coast by storm, causing damage to many plant species and proving to be difficult to control.
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A patch of highway iceplant, Carpobrotus edulis. Photo by Mitch Barrie, Flickr.com.
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Invasive Spotlight: Highway Iceplant

June 5, 2023
By Lauren Fordyce
You've probably seen this invasive plant growing along highways or the coast in California. Highway iceplant, Carpobrotus edulis, was intentionally introduced to prevent soil erosion along highways and coasts but it has since invaded many different ecosystems and outcompetes native plant species.
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California Invasive Species Action Week logo.
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California Invasive Species Action Week 2023!

June 1, 2023
By Lauren Fordyce
The 10th annual California Invasive Species Action Week (CISAW) will kick off Saturday June 3rd and runs to Sunday June 11th. This week is designed to raise awareness and encourage public participation in the ongoing fight against invasive species.
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A jumping worm on top of its coffee-ground like
castings. Photo by M. Bertone, NCSU.
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Look Out for the Jumping Worm!

May 18, 2023
By Belinda Messenger-Sikes
The jumping worm, Amynthas agrestis, is an invasive earthworm capable of harming native forests that has been recently reported in some areas of California.
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