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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. *
Timeline of Discoveries
- August 19, 1996: identified in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NYC
- Feb 1999: Bayside, Queens
- July 1999: Flushing, Queens
- August 1999: Upper East Side, Manhattan
- June 2000: Lower East Side, Manhattan
- July 2000: Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens
- October 2001: FDR Drive & 34th St, Manhattan
- January 2002: Central Park, Manhattan
- March 2003: Forest Park, Queens
- April 2003: Kew Gardens Hills, Queens
- September 2003: Mount Olivet Cemetary, Queens *
- More sites have been found in 2004 onward
- September 23, 1996: discovered in Amityville, NY
- October 17, 1997: discovered in Lindenhurst, NY
- July 13, 1998: discovered in Ravenswood neighborhood, Chicago, IL
- July 31, 1998: Addison, IL
- August 3, 1998: Summit, IL
- September 2, 1999: Park Ridge, IL
- November 28, 2000: O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, IL
- September 8, 1999: discovered in Islip, NY
- October 11, 2002: discovered in Jersey City, NJ *
- September 18, 2003: discovered in Toronto, ON and Vaughan, ON *
- August 17, 2004: discovered in Carteret, Rahway, and Kinden, NJ
- June 16, 2005: 2 live adult ALBs found outside of a warehouse in Sacramento, CA
- July, 2006: Possibly Discovered in Burlington, On, Canada
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:
- Impact. If it becomes established in this country it could significantly impact our natural forest and urban environment.
- Limited Infestation Size. Infestations are limited in size at this time, and the federal government still believes ALB can be eliminated completely if action is taken now.
The steps that have been taken to eliminate the Asian Longhorned Beetle include:
- Quarantines. Quarantines have been established around infested areas to prevent accidental spread of ALB by people.
- Infested trees cut, chipped and burned. All infested trees are being removed, chipped in place, and the chips are being burned. The stumps of infested trees are ground to below the soil level. All tree removal is done by certified tree care personnel to ensure that the process is completed properly.
- Insecticide treatments. Research is underway way to determine the effectiveness of certain insecticides against ALB (read more). Insecticidal treatments have begun in New York and Chicago in hopes of preventing and containing infestations.
- Extensive surveys. All host trees on public and private property located within an established distance from an infested area are surveyed by trained local, state, or federal personnel. Infested areas will be re-surveyed at least once per year for 3-5 years after the last beetle or infested tree is found.
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
"Asian long-horned beetle"