First report of Anoplophora glabripennis in Finland
The NPPO of Finland recently informed the EPPO Secretariat of the first record of Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae – EPPO A1 List) on its territory. In 2015-10-09, 2 adult beetles were found on a sidewalk by an employee of a stone import company located in the municipality of Vantaa (near Helsinki). The identity of the pest was confirmed by the Finnish NPPO. During a visual inspection, birch trees (Betula pendula) showing possible signs of infestation (i.e. holes resembling exit holes) were found on the terrain of the stone import company. An intensive survey was carried out within a radius of 100 m around the original finding spot of the beetles, and more trees (in total 20 B. pendula and 13 Salix caprea) showing suspicious signs of infestation were observed. In addition, old and new oviposition scars were observed. Five of the symptomatic B. pendula trees were immediately felled. As a result, 5 living larvae and 1 living adult of A. glabripennis were found. In addition, 1 S. caprea tree was cut down and 1 young larva was detected. However, its identity still needs to be confirmed by PCR. It is suspected that the pest has been introduced with wooden packaging material into the yard of the stone import company. All symptomatic trees will be destroyed as soon as possible, so that the infested and buffer zones can be delimited. Measures according to the EU Implementing Decision 2015/893 will be taken after the demarcated area has been established.
The pest status of Anoplophora glabripennis in Finland is officially declared as: Present, under eradication.
Sources
NPPO of Finland (2015-10).
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/893 of 9 June 2015 as regards measures to prevent the introduction into and the spread within the Union of Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky). http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX