Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD), deadly to Black Walnuts, found in Indiana

Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD) was recently discovered in Brown County, Indiana.  For a news article on the find go HERE.

Thousand Cankers Disease is a serious threat to Black Walnuts throughout the Eastern United States, including Illinois.  This disease is native to southwestern United States, where it is a minor pest on the native western walnuts, but it is deadly to the Black Walnut, native to the Eastern United States.  This is both a huge ecological and economic threat because of the importance of Black Walnut in our forested ecosystems and its high value as a timber product.

The diease has now been found in seven eastern states.  Surveys in Illinois have not found any Thousand Cankers Disease to date.  Illinois has external quarantines set up to restrict the importation of Black Walnut material from states with TCD.  Please check with the Illinois Department of Agriculture for more details about the quarantines.

The fungus, Geosmithia morbida, typically associates with the Walnut Twig Beetle.  This tiny beetle spreads the fungus from tree to tree.  What is particularly scary about the discovery of the fungus in Indiana is that it was discovered on weevils, making it the first time the fungus was found associated with an insect other than the Walnut Twig Beetle. 

Additional information from Illinois about TCD can be found at:
http://www.agr.state.il.us/Environment/Pest/tcd/TCD.pdf and
http://wwx.inhs.illinois.edu/files/3613/7484/6967/TCD_ID_TO_PRINT_handout_IL_version.pdf