1,700 tiny native beetles called Laricobius Nigrinus (or affectionately called Larry, short for Laricobius), were released at Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area in November. It’s hoped that the beetles will find and eat the hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect that threatens native eastern hemlock trees.
Over time, the woolly adelgid can kill the hemlocks, which are an important tree species in Zoar Valley. The hemlock is a foundational species; it’s key to the ecosystem. By protecting the hemlocks, we’re protecting all the plants, animals and abiotic processes that rely on the hemlock. (Abiotic processes are nonliving processes, such as sunlight and soil chemistry.)
The native beetles were released in Zoar Valley, but the hemlock woolly adelgids threaten hemlocks across Western New York and throughout the state.
The release of the native beetles was done by the NYS Hemlock Initiative through collaboration with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Western New York Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (WNY PRISM).
The NYS Hemlock Initiative is run by Cornell University scientists who research ways to use biological controls against the hemlock woolly adelgid. WNY PRISM assists the initiative and DEC by surveying lands, such as Zoar Valley, and reporting their findings.
Learn more about ways you can prevent the spread of invasive species across Western New York.
