Plane lace bugs pose threat to UK woodland

An invasive insect species, known as the plane lace bug, has been found in the UK for the first time since 2006.

Plane lace bugs originated in North America and spread throughout most of mainland Europe during the past 50 years.

They have been found to weaken trees and affect growth, which can also make them more susceptible to other pests and diseases.

See also: Alternative land uses: Woodland creation – key points

The Forestry Commission has confirmed it is investigating the presence of the plane lace bug on a number of trees in London.

Defra guidance states that it is likely to have come into the UK by hitchhiking on vehicles, ships, trains, or lorries, but could also have arrived on imported plane trees.

Reporting

The Forest Commission’s head of plant health forestry, Andrea Deol, said it is conducting further surveillance and is asking members of the public to report suspected plane lace bug findings via its online portal, TreeAlert.

Signs to look out for include:

• Discoloration and holes in the leaves
• Lighter leaves and leafless trees in late summer
• Small, yellow spots on leaves, leaf loss, and black spots on the underside of leaves
• Overwintering adults under the bark during autumn, winter, or early spring.

The Forestry Commission’s local partnership adviser, Richard Cobb, said the recent outbreak demonstrated how important it was to proactively anticipate and monitor threats as they emerge.

“It’s clear that tree managers will be under greater pressure in the future to dedicate more resources to pest and diseases management – either through preventative or remedial action,” he said.

“We only have to look at the likes of ash dieback to see the devastating impact that just one disease can have.”

Monitoring

Volunteers at the Woodland Trust have been monitoring trees to try and identify how prevalent the bug has become in the UK.

Citizen science officer at the Woodland Trust, Vicky Bolton, said: “The discovery of the plane lace bug is a concern due to its ability to get around and the damage it does to plane trees by sucking their sap.

“It is a very small invertebrate that is great at hitchhiking on vehicles, clothing or bags, and the density of planes in London means this pest may spread quickly, as seen in other European countries.”