Asian Longhorned Beetle

Asian longhorned beetle oviposition site

The Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis, is a recently introduced pest from China. It is believed to have entered the United States inside solid wood packing material from China (USDA Forest Service 2002). It was first discovered in the United States in 1996 in New York. In 1998, an infestation was found in Chicago. In 2002, Asian longhorned beetles were found in New Jersey. Eradication programs have been initiated and it is yet undetermined whether this pest exists elsewhere in the United States.

Asian longhorned beetle adult

Adult Asian longhorned beetles are 1 to 1 1/2 inches in length with antennae that can be 1 to 2 1/2 times their body length (USDA Forest Service 2002). Adult bodies are black with white mottles. The antennae have a distinctive black and white banding pattern. The feet often have a bluish tinge. After mating, females chew dime-sized depressions in the bark of hardwoods to lay their eggs in (USDA APHIS 2004). After hatching, the larvae bore into the tree to feed upon the vascular tissue. The larvae continue to bore into the wood of the tree, forming large tunnels and galleries. The larvae pupate in the wood near the surface. The newly formed adults emerge through large, perfectly round exit holes (3/8 inch in diameter). Emergence usually occurs from June to October (USDA Forest Service 2002).

Asian longhorned beetle larvae

The damage resulting from an Asian longhorned beetle infestation reduces the commericial value of trees and can kill trees if the infestation is severe (USDA APHIS 2004). Many species of hardwoods can serve as hosts (USDA APHIS 2004), including:

• Maples (Acer)
• Horse chestnuts, buckeyes (Aesculus)
• Willows (Salix)
• Elms (Ulmus)
• Birch (Betula)

The major host species for Asian longhorned beetle are usually not a dominant overstory species in southern Appalachian forests. However, they can comprise a significant proportion of the overstory, increase biodiversity, and are important ecologically. If Asian longhorned beetles further expand their range and become established in large forests, the potential exists for it to spread into the southern Appalachians. Infestations could reduce biodiversity and alter species compositions of southern Appalachian forests. The extent and severity of the damage is unknown.

Asian longhorned beetle damage