Dead beetles of Anoplophora glabripennis found in Switzerland
The NPPO of Switzerland informed the EPPO Secretariat of the recent finding of dead beetles of Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae – EPPO A1 List) on its territory*. On 2011-12-08, two dead beetles were discovered by a worker on a road construction site near Salenstein (Canton of Thurgau) and brought to the Cantonal Plant Protection Service. These dead insects were identified as A. glabripennis by Dr Beat Forster (Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, WSL). This finding could be related to a consignment of granite stones and its wood packaging material (dunnage and pallets) imported from China. Although the packaging material had been marked according to ISPM 15, fresh insect galleries could be observed. The worker also mentioned that he had previously found another dead beetle (at the end of October) under very similar conditions. Tracing-back studies indicated that both consignments of stones belonged to larger consignments which had been broken down into smaller lots and dispatched to several destinations. Investigations are on-going. The wood packing material (dunnage and pallets) was destroyed under official control. Considering the period of the year during which both consignments arrived in Switzerland, it is considered that oviposition by female beetles is very unlikely. Nevertheless, monitoring will continue in the forthcoming years.
The pest status of Anoplophora glabripennis in Switzerland is officially declared as: Transient, actionable, under surveillance.
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* It can be recalled that in September 2011, an isolated finding of 2 living beetles had been reported in the Canton of Fribourg. It is suspected that the insect was most probably introduced with a consignment of granite stones with infested wood packing material imported from China (EPPO RS 2011/189).
Sources
NPPO of Switzerland (2011-12).