Poplar-gall Saperda – Saperda inornata

Poplar-gall Saperda (Saperda inornata) Latin Name: Saperda inornata Common Name: Poplar-gall Saperda Appearance:

• Adult beetles cut stems or branches, leaving egg niches (horseshoe-shaped scars).
• A grey beetle is about one-third to half an inch in length on the leaf or stem.
• Above the gall, there are broken or dead tree or branch tips.
• In the woody tissues of the gall, white larvae or pupae can be seen.
• An empty gall has a hole on one side.

Host plants: It feeds on Populus tremuloides Territory: It is found throughout Canada and the United States Damage caused by Poplar-gall Saperda: From early May to late June, look for egg niches or adult beetles in whips and young trees. Look for galls on stems and branches after June. Prepare to treat the nurseries the next year if the infestation surpasses 15%. Even if more than 90% of the trees in a plantation are affected, treatment is rarely required. Life history and Habits: In late April, the female beetle lays eggs in various crevices carved into the main stem and branches. In most cases, one larva grows in each niche and feeds on the woody tissues beneath the bark, digging irregular holes. As a result of the drilling, a globose gall grows around the damaged region. The larva bores into the gall’s core, enlarges the gallery, and pupates there late summer. The pupa spends the winter in the gallbladder.