First report of Anoplophora glabripennis in Switzerland
The NPPO of Switzerland recently informed the EPPO Secretariat of the first record of Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae – EPPO A1 List) on its territory. In September 2011, a single beetle was found by the owner of a private garden in Brünisried (Canton of Fribourg). Photographs were sent to a museum and to Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) and the insect was tentatively identified as A. glabripennis. An expert from WSL returned to Brünisried and found an adult male on a hedgerow of Acer pseudoplatanus, which was definitely identified as A. glabripennis. So far, no exit holes could be found but oviposition sites were detected in the same hedgerow. It is suspected that the insect was introduced with a consignment of granite stones imported from China, because stones had been installed along the nearby road some years ago. Investigations are being carried out to verify this hypothesis. An extensive detection survey is being conducted by the NPPO of the Fribourg Canton (within a radius of 500 m around the detection site). Control measures will be decided according to the results of the survey.
The pest status of Anoplophora glabripennis in Switzerland is officially declared as: Transient, actionable, under eradication.
Sources
NPPO of Switzerland (2011-09).
INTERNET (last accessed in 2011-10).
Confédération Suisse. Communiqué du 2001-09-22 Capricorne asiatique: premier foyer de ce parasite des arbres découvert en Suisse.