Snowy Tree Cricket (Oecanthus fultoni)

From: Ostry, Michael E.; Wilson, Louis F.; McNabb, Harold S., Jr.; Moore, Lincoln M. 1988. A guide to insect, disease, and animal pests of poplars. Agric. Handb. 677. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 118 p.

Importance- Female crickets injure new shoots by laying eggs in slits cut in the bark. Weakened shoots break over or die; injured trees grow crooked. Nymphs and adult crickets cause insignificant injury when they feed on foliage.

Look For: Broken over or dead branches. Longitudinal slits up to 2 inches long, resembling a zipper, located on the new growth or at the juncture of a broken or dead branch. Light green slender nymphs or adult crickets on the foliage.

Adult snowy tree cricket.

Biology- Female crickets mature in late summer and lay their eggs in new shoots after cutting a deep slit in the tissues. The eggs overwinter and nymphs emerge when the weather warms in spring. Nymphs feed throughout the spring and summer.

Monitoring- Inspect nursery whips on young plantings for shoot injury throughout the growing season. Examine 50 or more trees; if leaders are broken on 10 percent, consider treatment.

Control: In nurseries, prune and destroy shoots with eggs. Spray infested nurseries or plantations for nymphs or adults with an insecticide recommended for foliage-feeding insects.

Egg slit made by snowy tree.