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Chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalisHood, is a cryptic species complex of at least 9 species, 2 of which (South Asia 1 and East Asia 1) have been confirmed damaging >50 plant taxa in the United States. To develop a knowledge-based management program for this pest in the United States, the objectives of the study were to (i) survey for S. dorsalisspecies complex in the suspected regions and (ii) assess the reproductive hosts of the predominant member available. Thrips samples received from collaborators were subjected to morpholo-molecular characterization. Of the 101 thrips populations received across the United States between 2015 and 2021, 71 populations were confirmed as S. dorsalis, with ~25% further identified as East Asia 1, compared with ~41% identified as South Asia 1, suggesting the latter species is more prevalent in the US. East Asia 1 was primarily found in samples collected from Hydrangeasp. (95%) in Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania, indicating geographic range expansion in the Northeast and successful overwintering in areas with hard freezes. While assessing the host range of South Asia 1 (dominant species), 62 plant taxa were evaluated under greenhouse conditions. Among these, 40 feeding and reproductive hosts were confirmed in Florida. We also found 18 new reproductive hosts and 3 feeding hosts of S. dorsalis, which were not previously reported in the literature. The results provide insight into the increasing host range and expanded geographical distribution of S. dorsalisspecies and will enable the development of a species-specific monitoring and management program.

The article focuses on a tree consultant and his assistant investigating the health problems of tree peonies in a garden, aiming to identify the cause of the browning leaves affecting not only the peonies but also surrounding plants. It mentions they collect leaf samples to determine if the issue is caused by pests, pathogens, or abiotic factors.

Bayesian modelling of radiocarbon dates to construct detailed chronologies has become a key methodology in North America's ‘historic turn,’ though the Middle Atlantic has seen few efforts to apply these techniques. Drawing from 70 legacy dates and 25 new assays, this study develops Bayesian chronological models for 10 Late Woodland (AD 900-1600) sites in the Potomac Valley. Our goal is to assess how the arrival of Luray communities impacted the region's settlement history. During the Late Woodland period Native communities tied to three cultural traditions established a series of towns in the Potomac Valley, at times close to one another. With evidence of population movements, intergroup violence, and coalescent communities, the Late Woodland Potomac Valley appears to have represented a dynamic borderland during these centuries. The chronology developed in this study points toward a landscape of settlements we have labelled Persistent Places, Unsettled Settlements, and Transitory Towns.