| Balsam woolly adelgid | |
|---|---|
| |
| Adult balsam woolly adelgid | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Sternorrhyncha |
| Family: | Adelgidae |
| Genus: | Adelges |
| Species: | A. piceae
|
| Binomial name | |
| Adelges piceae (Ratzeburg, 1844)
| |
The balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges piceae) is small wingless insect that infests and kills firs. In their native Europe they are a minor parasite on silver fir and Sicilian fir, but they have become a threat especially to balsam fir and Fraser fir after they were introduced to the United States around the beginning of the 20th century. Because this species is not native to North America, the Fraser fir has not evolved any type of defense against it.