Introduction of Anoplophora glabripennis in New York State (US)
An exotic longhorned beetle, has been found for the first time in USA, in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn and in a small area in Amityville (New York State) on street and park trees. The insect was first found on dying Norway maples (Acer platanoides) and identified as Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), an Asian species. In Brooklyn, the mature larvae feed in the hardwood of mature street and park trees (mainly maples and horse chestnut: A. platanoides, A. pseudoplatanus, A. saccharinum, A. saccharum, Aesculus hippocastanum). Adults emerge during the summer months through holes (diameter of approximately 10 mm or more) in the bark. Heavy sap flow occurs from these large wounds. Infested trees are also more susceptible to secondary attack by other diseases or insects. Sawdust is also found at the basis of attacked trees. Oviposition cavities chewed out by females are found in the bark of the trunk and at the junction of branches and trunk. It is not known how this dangerous pest was introduced into USA, but it is suspected that it may have been transported on dunnage from Asia. The Brooklyn area is situated near a maritime port complex. For the moment, approximately 150 to 200 trees are infested in the Brooklyn area. In Amityville, the number of affected trees is probably less. Further surveys are being carried out, and eradication measures are being implemented.
USDA-APHIS gives also much information of the pest itself. A. glabripennis is widely distributed in China, Japan and Korea, where it can be a serious forest pest. It attacks there the following tree species: Acer negundo, A. truncatum, Morus alba, Populus canadensis, P. x dokuanensis, P. x euramericana, P. nigra, P. nigra var. italica, P. x simopyraidalis, Robinia pseudoacacia, Salix babylonica, S. matsudana, Ulmus parvifolia and also black pear and plum trees. A summary of the biology of the pest is given:
Egg stage: the whitish, oblong eggs are 5-7 mm in length. Both ends of the eggs are slightly concave.
Larval stage: mature larvae are 50 mm in length. The prothorax has a brown mark. The front of the mark does not have a brown margin.
Pupal stage: the whitish pupae are 30-33 mm in length with a width of 11 mm. The eighth segment of the abdomen has a protruding structure.
Adult stage: adults are 20-25 mm long and 7-12 mm large. Their color is jet-black with a lustre. The antennae have 11 segments. The base of the antennae are whitish with a blue-black color. The antennae of the males are 2.5 times their body length; the antennae of the females are 1.3 times the body length. The base of the elytra does not have a granular structure. Each elytron has about 20 white dots.
Sources
USDA-APHIS server on INTERNET