Strong winter predators, the Lari beetle feeds only on adelgids from October to May. The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is reporting on the introduction of the Lari into their battle against the hemlock wooly adelgid (HWA). As of 2010 all NC counties within the historic range of hemlocks were infested with the tiny killers of the eastern hemlock. Watch the Mountain Xpress for an upcoming article on the plight of the hemlock and fight against the HWA.
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy has the whole story here.
The Following is an excerpt:
Each Lari larva can consume 200 to 250 adelgid eggs or crawlers before they pupate in June. In fact, research shows that the beetles can eat more than 90 percent of HWA in areas where the beetles have been released. Once established, Lari beetles can advance up to 2 miles per year.
Lari beetles have been released throughout Western North Carolina on private, federal and state lands. Recently, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) released 50 Lari beetles on the Sandy Mush Game Lands located in Madison and Buncombe counties. SAHC is working with the WRC on a future release of Lari beetles on an SAHC-owned tract that bridges the gap between non-contiguous sections of the state-owned Sandy Mush Game Land.
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