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Asian long-horned beetle

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The Asian long-horned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis), sometimes called Starry Sky (Sky Oxen in China) beetle, is native to China and Korea where it causes widespread mortality of poplar, willow, elm, and maple throughout vast areas of eastern Asia.

Asian longhorned beetles are big, showy insects: shiny and coal black with white spots. Adults are about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long. On their head is a pair of very long antennae that are alternately ringed in black and white. The antennae are longer than the insect's body.

An invasive species in the United States, the larva of this beetle has a voracious appetite for wood. It is especially damaging to maple trees: Norway, sugar, silver, and red maple are among its preferred foods. The species also feeds on horse-chestnut, poplar, willow, elm, mulberry, and black locust. Females of this species chew into the bark and lay eggs. When the eggs hatch, the immature beetles, which look like big white worms, chew their way farther into the tree. When they mature, the full-grown beetles chew their way out of the tree. The beetle life cycle leaves trees riddled with holes, oozing sap. The USDA believes this beetle can probably survive and reproduce in most sections of the country where suitable host trees exist. The beetle has also invaded Britain and Austria.

Infestations in the United States

The Asian Longhorned Beetle can be seen from late spring to fall, depending on the climate. Host trees include: Acer (maple, boxelder), Aesculus (horsechestnut, buckeye), Salix (willow), and Ulmus (elm.) The Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) was first discovered in the United States in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and soon after in Amityville Long Island in 1996. Since then, infestations were found in and around New York City, including on Long Island and in Queens and Flushing Park. Several infested trees were removed around Central Park, where over 20,000 potential host trees grow.

At present, it has been found in several areas in New York City, the Chicago area (successfully eradicated by 2005), New Jersey, and in a few isolated locations on Long Island. It has also been found in warehouses in CA, FL, IL, IN, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TX, WA, WI and in BC, ON in Canada, but has been prevented from getting outdoors.

Background

The Asian longhorned beetle, though native to China, saw a population boom from the late '70s to early '90s due to the planting of poplar tree farms to supply materials for shipping crates and packing in the burgeoning trade with foreign countries. The population was reported to have grown by 650,000% by 1991 from pre-trade boom levels (Woodsen, 2000).

The Asian longhorned beetle was believed to have arrived in New York City in the 1980s from wooden packing material. According to the Director of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Laboratory of Cape Cod, MA Victor Mastro, the center of the infection zone was a warehouse which imported plumbing supplies from China (Smith, 2003). The infestations in New Jersey and on Long Island are believed to have spread from the Brooklyn point of entry. Chicago's infestation was believed to come from a separate point of entry.

The Greenpoint infestation was first reported by Ingram Carter of Greenpoint, Brooklyn on a Saturday in August 1996 (presumably August 10th or 17th) and identified by Cornell University entomologist Richard Hoebeke on August 19th. The Amityville infestation was brought, inadvertantly, from Brooklyn by the Mike Ryan Tree Services, a tree pruning company, which performs work for the NYNEX telephone company. [link]

Timeline of Discoveries

Eradication Efforts

Over 6,000 infested trees have been cut down and destroyed to eradicate ALB from New York and over 1,550 trees in Chicago and more than 600 trees in New Jersey. Infested trees continue to be discovered.

The government is trying to eradicate this species primarily because of two reasons:

The steps that have been taken to eliminate the Asian Longhorned Beetle include:

US customs regulations were changed on September 18, 1998 (effective December 17, 1998) to require wooden packing materials from China be chemically treated or dried via kiln to prevent further infestations of the Asian long-horned beetle from arriving. Pest inspection, new rules, and public awareness are the key steps to prevention of the spread of the asian longhorned beetle, a beetle which could have devastating effects on our environment. Serviceberry or Shadbush, Ironwood, Southern catalpa, Hackberry, Turkish filbert, Ginkgo, honeylocust, Kentucky coffeetree, Tuliptree, Dawn redwood, White oak, Swamp white oak, Bur oak, English oak, Japanese lilac, Bald cypress, Basswood, Littleleaf linden are trees that are being planted to replace host trees.

References

Antipin, Judy and Dilley, Thomas. "Chicago vs. Asian Longhorn Beetle: A Portrait of Success"

purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS6632

Smith, Jennifer. "Monsters in Miniature: An Exotic Invader Threatens U.S. Hardwoods". April 13, 2003 Newsday.com.

Woodsen, Mary. "Citihgjhggyui 

Under Siege". American Forests Summer 2000: 7.

External links

A very informative site about the Asian Longhorned Beetle has been created and maintained at the University of Vermont through funding provided by the USDA: http://www.uvm.edu/albeetle

 

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
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