Kevin was tasked with a scientific and creative project this past year, and the fruits of that labour have been published by the Acadian Entomological Society. Working together with zoologist John Klymko, Kevin collected specimens of the beech leaf-mining weevil for John’s studies. John wanted to determine the habits of the weevil in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, as this invasive pest is spreading quickly and doing quite a bit of damage to our beloved beech tree population.
It’s possible that us humans are helping these pesky little bugs spread across the Maritimes! They tend to spend their dormant period hiding in various tree bark, and could be transported around with logging trucks or campers hauling firewood. Those with beech trees may want to watch out for this pest, and let us know if you see any signs of it.
The paper is available here and also on the Acadian Entomological Society’s website.