Forest Pests: Insects, Diseases & Other Damage Agents

Glossary Forest Health Guide for Georgia Foresters Written by Terry Price, Georgia Forestry Commission Adapted for the web by the Bugwood Network

Aeciospore-The yellowish-powdery spore stage of fusiform rust. The aeciospores are formed on the pine host and appear in early spring.

Alternate host- refers to the rust fungi; where two or more hosts are required for the rust fungus to complete its life cycle.

Applanate-Flat shaped.

Ascospore-A fungal spore borne in a sac like structure called an ascus.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)- A bacterium that when ingested, is toxic to insects, in particular, caterpillars.

Basidiospore-The spore stage of fusiform rust that infects the pine host. This stage is developed on the oak leaf.

Cambium-The living layer of cells under the bark of trees that divides to form the xylem and phloem.

Cellulose- The principal chemical constituent of the cell wall of higher plants.

Chlorophyll-The green coloring substance of leaves and plants.

Chlorosis-The yellowing of green leaves due to lack of chlorophyll.

Chlorotic-Yellowish-green foliage.

Chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-A wood preservative that has fungicidal and insecticidal activity.

Conk-Fruiting body of a wood destroying fungus.

Copper napthenate-A wood preservative used to control fungal decay and insect attack. Usually applied as a 1%-2% solution in petroleum solvents.

Creosote-A wood preservative that is relatively insoluble in water. Also known as coal tar.

CRP- The CRP is a cost-share program aimed at converting highly erodible agricultural lands into stable croplands. Pine trees are an accepted cover crop and thousands of acres of farmland have been converted to pines in the south.

Dripline-The area beneath the outermost branch tips of a tree.

Dry rot-The brown rot caused by Poria incrassata.

Elytra-The hard front wings of the beetles.

Frass-Feeding debris left behind by wood boring insects.

Frontalin-One of the many pheromones produced by the southern pine beetle. It is the primary aggregation pheromone.

Haustoria-Specialized structure of a fungus or mistletoe that enables it to enter a host cell.

Heartwood-The darker inner core of a woody stem or log.

Hypovirulent-In this text refers to a strain of chestnut blight disease that is characterized by having a double-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA).

Inoculum-Any part of a pathogen such as a spore or mycelium.

Instar-The stage of an insect between molts.

Lignin-Along with cellulose a principal cell wall constituent.

Mold-Fungal growth that stains or discolors wood.

Mycelium-Pertains to a fungal structure that grows vegetatively and can infect host tissue.

Naval Stores-Refers to the gum naval stores industry in which gum from slash and longleaf pine trees is collected and distilled into various products.

Nymph-The immature stage of an insect that resembles the adult.

Pentachlorophenol-A wood preservative used to control fungal decay, termites or lyctid beetles.

Pheromone-A chemical substance released by an insect that causes another individual of the same species to react.

Pronotum-The region of an insect’s body immediately behind the head.

Rhizomorph-A specialized form of mycelium consisting of several strands twisted together to form a rootlike structure.

Sapwood-The outer portion of a woody stem or log that is different from heartwood by its lighter color. Sapwood is the portion preferred by wood boring insects and most decay fungi.

Spore-The reproductive structure in fungi that functions similar to a seed in flowering plants.

Sporophore-A spore-producing or spore-supporting structure.

Sporulate-To produce spores.

Stain fungi-Fungi that discolor wood such as blue stain. These fungi are often carried by certain insects from one tree to the next.

Starch- The major food substance in wood that wood boring insects feed on.

Stroma-A mass of mycelium on which sporophores originate.

Sunscald-Damage to plants resulting from direct sun. Usually more prevalent with thinned-bark species.

Thorax- The region of an insect body where the wings and legs are attached.

Verbenone-A pheromone produced predominantly by male southern pine beetles which functions as a switching mechanism or helps balance the sex ratio of attacking beetles.

Zinc napthenate-A wood preservative for above ground use to control fungal decay.

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