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Western Colorado Entomology

This page was updated on
May 15, 2008

Welcome to the Colorado State University Extension Western Colorado Entomology web site. This site was created and is maintained by Tri River Area Extension Entomology & Agronomy, and is dedicated to presenting factual information on the insects and insect related issues affecting western Colorado.

Entomology Alerts!

Insect of the Moment

TRA Extension will be sponsoring an Applied Beekeeping Workshop on July 10-11, 2008 at the Mesa County Fairgrounds. Dr Marion Ellis, Professor of Entomology and Extension Apiculture Specialist from the University of Nebraska will lead the workshop. Joli Winer and Cecil Sweeney, owners of Heartland Honey in Spring Hill KS will assist. The workshop and is designed for induividuals with at least a basic knowledge of beekeeping. There is a $100 registration fee. For more information and a complete agenda, click here.
We have added a section on insects affecting native plant seed production. Acreage of native plants grown for seed is increasing and many of the insects that attack them are unknown. Hit Seed Production on the button bar to go the home page for that section.
The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is conducting a Japanese Beetle Eradication Program in Orem City Utah. Click here for their report on 2007 activities.

We recently had an undesctibed species of moth com into the Extension office. The larvae are leaf miners in Narrow Leaf Mountain Mahogany and the adults (pictured below) are tiny moths less than 1/8 inch long. For more information, click here.

Walnut Decline

Walnut trees along the Front Range of Colorado, Espanola Valley of NM and the Willamette Valley of OR are dying from a syndrome we are calling walnut decline. It is also known as the Thousand Cankers Disease of Walnut. The decline apears to be associated with the Walnut twig beetle, Pityophthorus juglandis, which may transmit a fungal disease, Geosmithia sp. A second disease, Fusarium solani, is also implicated in the decline, but it is apparently not transmitted by the twig beetles.

We are interested in determining if Walnut decline is present on the West Slope of Colorado. If you know of declining walnut trees, especially trees with top death, please email or call your local Extension office. For more information click on the Trees & Forestry tab on the button bar.