Shortleaf Pines Affected by Bug

In the past several weeks, there have been an increasing number of areas where shortleaf pine trees, Pinus echinata, have turned brown and died. The pockets of dead trees are usually small, ranging from just a few trees to less than an acre in size. Trees have died both in the forests and in residential settings. The foliage in the upper crowns starts to fade turning a greenish-yellow, which quickly progresses to all the needles turning reddish-brown and the tree dying. These areas are most visible in contrast to the surrounding normally dark green foliage of healthy trees.