Hemlock Woolly Adelgid – Adelges tsugae
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae)
Common Name: Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
Latin Name: Adelges tsugae
Appearance:
- This beetle may be identified by the appearance of a dried, white fuzzy material on young hemlock twigs.
- This “wool” can be seen all year, although it is most profuse and noticeable in the spring when egg masses are present.
- Except for the first stages of development, the wool completely encases the insect.
- Their woolly coat swells as they feed—the “wool” is a waxy compound that seeps out of pores on the insect’s body.
- When mature, it resembles the tip of a cotton swab but can be up to 1/8th inch in diameter.