Originally published on December 25, 2013

Two of America's favorite wild Christmas trees, the Canaan and Fraser firs, may be driven to extinction by an invasive insect called the balsam woolly adelgid, according to a report in the Washington Post.

The balsam woolly adelgid is a wingless, soft-bodied insect no bigger than a freckle. It reached America from Europe in 1900.

It is difficult at first to detect balsam woolly adelgid infestation. Infested trees will bend and their leaves will turn yellow. The most obvious symptom is the white woolly balls that dot the tree's needles.

Balsam woolly adelgid is a sedentary pest. After emerging from its egg, it remains in the location. The adelgid's straw-like mouth punctures the bark, enabling it to suck the sap. The insects are all female. They lay eggs that are clones of themselves without mating.

The pest has no natural enemy, and it is not feasible to use insecticide in the wild without killing other organisms. In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, park rangers are releasing predator beetles that eat adelgid eggs as a form of biological control, according to the Washington Post.

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