HomeMy Public PortalAboutAsian Longhorned BeetleLJC1Iert
United States
Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service
NA -PR -01 -99MA
Revised August 2008
Asian Longhorned Beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis):
A New Introduction
The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) has been
discovered attacking trees in the United States.
Tunneling by beetle larvae girdles tree stems and
branches. Repeated attacks lead to dieback of the
tree crown and, eventually; death of the tree. ALB
probably travelled to the United States inside solid
wood packing material from China. The beetle has been
intercepted at ports and found in warehouses throughout
the United States.
This beetle is a serious pest in China, where it kills
hardwood trees in roadside plantings, shelterbelts, and
plantations. In the United States the beetle prefers maple
species (Ater spp.), including boxelder, Norway, red,
silver, and sugar maples. Other preferred hosts are
birches, Ohio buckeye, elms, horsechestnut,
and willows. Occasional to rare hosts include ashes,
European mountain ash, London plauetree,
mimosa, and poplars. A complete list of host trees in
the United States has not been determined.
Currently, the only effective means to eliminate ALB is
to remove infested trees and destroy them by chipping
or burning. To prevent further spread of the insect,
quarantines are established to avoid transporting infested
trees and branches from the area. Early detection of
infestations and rapid treatment response are crucial to
successful eradication of the beetle.
The ALB has one generation per year. Adult beetles
are usually present from July to October, but can be
found later in the fall if temperatures are warm. Adults
usually stay on the trees from which they emerged or they
may disperse short distances to a new host to feed and
reproduce. Each female usually lays 35-90 eggs during
her lifetime. Some are capable of laying more than that.
The eggs hatch in 10-15 days. The larvae feed under the
hark in the living tissue of the tree for a period of time
and then bore deep into the wood where they pupate. The
adults emerge from pupation sites by boring a tunnel in
the wood and creating a round exit hole in the tree.
For more information about Asian longhorned beetle
in the United States, visit these U.S. Department of
Agriculture Web sites:
www.na.fs.fed.us/fhp/alb/
www.aphis.usda.govlplant_health/plant_
pest_info/asian_Ihb/index.shtml
If you suspect an Asian longhorned beetle infestation, please collect an adult beetle
in ajar, place the jar in the freezer, and immediately notify any of these officials or
offices in your State:
State Department of Agriculture:
• State Plant Regulatory Official
• State Entomologist
U.S. Department of Agriculture:
•Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service,
Plant Protection and Quarantine
• Forest Service
County Cooperative Extension Office
State Forester or Department of Natural Resources
In Massachusetts call:
866-702-9938 toll free.
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Asian Longhorned Beetle
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
1. Adult beetles. Individuals are 3/4 to 11/4 inches long,
with jet black body and mottled white spots on the back.
The long antennae are 11/2 to 21/2 times the body length with
distinctive black and white bands on each segment. The feet
have a bluish tinge.
3. Oozing sap. In the summer, sap may flow from egg
niches, especially on maple trees, as the larvae feed inside
the tree.
5. Round holes, 3/8 inch in diameter or larger, on the
trunk and on branches. These exit holes are made by adult
beetles as they emerge from the tree.
2. Oval to round pits in the bark. These egg -laying
sites or niches are chewed out by the female beetle, and a
single egg is deposited in each niche.
4. Accumulation of coarse sawdust around the
base of infested trees, where branches meet the main stem,
and where branches meet other branches. This sawdust is
created by the beetle larvae as they bore into the main tree
stem and branches.
Photo Sources:
USDA Forest Service
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
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Published by:
USDA Forest Service
Northeastern Area
State and Private Forestry
Newtown Square, PA 19073
www.na.fs.fed.us
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