Photo Gallery: Invasives

: Pair of Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs (Churchville, NY – 4/16/2019)

: Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (adult)

: A peek inside a winter nest of Browntail caterpillars with roughly 30 healthy individuals (Orono, ME; 3/14/2022)

: Browntail Moth (late instar caterpillar stage)

: Browntail Moth (late-instar caterpillars feeding on wild apple leaves; Lincolnville Center, ME – 6/5/2019)

: Browntail Moth (example of a spring/early summer-season nest)

: Browntail Moths; note the brown ‘tail’ at the end of the abdomen (Kennebec County, Maine, 7/1/2021)

: European Red Ant — Myrmica rubra (also referred to as the European Fire Ant) (Invasive)

: Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (an invasive pest)

: Portion of an Eastern Hemlock twig infested with Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (North Berwick, ME; 4/15/2022)

: Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (nymph/”crawler” stage; visible in center of photo) (Mount Desert, ME; June 23rd, 2021) The nymphs (“crawlers”) are reddish-brown in color and migrate to new locations on the branches where they subsequently settle into place and feed at the base of the needles.

: Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (nymph/”crawler” stage; one is shown here at the tip of one of the needles) (Mount Desert, ME; June 23rd, 2021)

: Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (winged adult) A winged adult hemlock woolly adelgid is rather rare. They fly off in search of tiger tail spruce (Picea torano) trees to infest, but we do not have that species of spruce in the US and they are incapable of establishing themselves on any of our USA species of spruce trees.

: Spotted Wing Drosophila flies (actual size: 2-3 mm)

: Spotted Wing Drosophila fruit flies (Drosophila suzukii) (a.k.a. the Asian fruit fly) stuck to a UMaine Extension sticky trap; The males have a prominent, dark spot on each wing, as can be seen in this photo.

: A male Spotted Wing Drosophila

: Pupa of a Spotted Wing Drosophila

: Closeup view of the saw-like ovipositor which allows Spotted Wing Drosophila to cut into healthy soft-skinned fruits

: Spotted Wing Drosophila Trap, photo by David Handley

Additional Photos and Information:

Asian Longhorned Beetle (no confirmed sightings in Maine as yet)
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug — Halyomorpha halys (Maine Dept of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry)
Browntail Moth
Emerald Ash Borer (found in Maine on 5/22/18 in Madawaska and it has now been confirmed in three southern Maine towns as well)
European Crane Fly (Tipula paludosa) (pest of lawns and turf) (Cornell)
European Red Ant (Myrmica rubra) – The European Red Ant is also called the European Fire Ant; It is an invasive insect in Maine, increasing in both its geographical range (particularly in coastal communities) and in its encounters with homeowners. However, these ants are only distantly related to the ‘true’ fire ants found in the southern U.S. and Latin America.
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
Leek Moth (Cornell) — Leek moths were captured in a pheremone trap in Jackman, Maine on 5/19/2020, the earliest capture to date in Maine. Leek moth as of 2019 has also spread to the Rangeley, Maine area and is expected to continue its spread in Maine. The larvae of this moth are destructive to all members of the Allium plant family, but especially to leeks.
Spotted Lanternfly (SLF for short) (9/29/2020: Some SLF egg masses have now been found in Maine!). This pest is not a fly or a moth, but rather a type of Homopteran commonly called a planthopper. It is native to China, India, Taiwan and Vietnam. Its first infestation in the U.S. was in Pennsylvania. As of October, 2019 it was present in 14 counties in southeastern PA, nine counties in NJ, one county in DE, and one county in northern VA. Specimens have been found in MD, NY, MA, and CT but most are believed to have been inadvertent hitchhikers, with no confirmed populations established as yet in the other states. If you find this insect or its egg masses, please report the sighting to an appropriate state authority. neipmc.org/go/slfqri has reporting instructions for various states in the region. Those in Maine wishing to report a sighting are asked to contact the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.
- Spotted Lanternfly Fact Sheet (UMass)
- Spotted Lanternfly: What to Look For (Penn State Extension)
- Tree of heaven (invasive plant and favorite host of Spotted Lanternfly but it also has over 70 other host plants, including apples, stone fruits, hops and especially grapes) (NH Department of Agriculture)
Spotted Wing Drosophila (invasive) (a unique fruit fly native to Asia which has spread from west to east across North America all the way to Maine) (see Fruit Flies)
Swede midge (Cornell) — [serious pest of cruciferous plants] Present in Maine: Found in Farmington starting in 2019 and the first detection of it there in 2020 was in early June; There are no effective sprays for home gardeners. Cultural practices and row covers, where Swede midge has not been established, offer some protection against crop damage.
Winter Moth (Maine Forest Service) [see also Control of Winter Moth Damage in New England Blueberries (PDF) — UMass] [2012 Bangor Daily winter moth story] and the Maine Forest Service Press Release (Nov-Dec 2015) “When moths fly with snow, let the Maine Forest Service know!”