Hemlock Woolly Adelgid and Elongate Hemlock Scale Surveys in Connecticut and Massachusetts 1997-2011

In the eastern USA, eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) is the host plant for two invasive insect species - hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) and elongate hemlock scale (Fiorinia externa). We observed the density of adult hemlock woolly adelgid and elongate hemlock scale on eastern hemlock branches on five occasions over 14 years at 142 stands across a latitudinal transect encompassing 7,500 km2 in Connecticut and Massachusetts to assess whether there is a difference in the response to abiotic conditions (winter temperature, summer temperature, summer precipitation) between the two species, and whether the distribution and abundance of each insect species is dependent on biotic interactions with the co-occurring insect species.

本研究聚焦美国东部区域：东部铁杉（Tsuga canadensis）是两种入侵昆虫——铁杉球蚜（Adelges tsugae）与长形铁杉介壳虫（Fiorinia externa）的寄主植物。研究团队于康涅狄格州与马萨诸塞州境内一条覆盖7500平方千米的纬度样带中的142个林分内，在14年间分5次调查了东部铁杉枝条上两种昆虫成虫的种群密度，旨在评估两类昆虫对非生物环境因子（冬季气温、夏季气温、夏季降水）的响应差异，以及每种昆虫的分布格局与种群丰度是否依赖于与共存昆虫物种间的生物相互作用。