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Invasive elm zigzag sawfly causing concern in Stokes, Surry counties

North Carolina officials are warning of a new invasive species in the region, the elm zigzag sawfly.

The sawfly is a type of wasp considered to be harmless to humans and animals. But experts say that despite their diminutive size, sawflies can cause significant damage to elm trees due to rapid population growth.

The elm zigzag sawfly begins as a small, green, caterpillar-like larva that feeds on the leaves of elm trees. It’s named for what biologists call a saw-like appendage used for egg-laying, and for the zig-zag pattern it creates in leaves when feeding. 

Forest health specialists say trees usually recover from defoliation caused by native caterpillars. But they warn that repeated defoliation from species such as the sawfly can weaken or stress the trees to the point of killing them.

According to a news release, the elm zigzag sawfly had only previously been found in Virginia and Quebec, Canada. But it has recently been spotted just north of Pilot Mountain, raising concern about an impact in Surry and Stokes counties.

State officials are urging residents to photograph any sightings and report them to a Forest Service ranger.

Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

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