Updated situation of Anoplophora glabripennis in Finland
In October 2015, 2 adult beetles of Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae – EPPO A1 List) were found on a sidewalk by an employee of a stone import company in the city of Vantaa, Finland (EPPO RS 2015/184). Intensive surveys were carried out within a radius of 300 m around the original finding site. In total, 132 suspicious trees were marked and cut down. When suspicious trees were growing in private gardens, tree climbers were used to inspect them. As a result, 12 trees, including 8 birches (Betula spp.) and 4 willows (Salix caprea), were found to be infested by A. glabripennis. In addition, living larvae were found in wood packaging material located in the property of a stone importer. The infested area (approximately 10 ha) is mainly an industrial area with trees planted along roads and in inner courtyards. It also includes small forest areas that are owned by the city of Vantaa, and some private gardens. A buffer zone of 2 km radius has been delimited around the infested area. Phytosanitary measures are being taken and include the destruction of all host trees within the infested area, and restrictions on the movement of wood material from the buffer zone without specified treatment. As many private gardens are located in the buffer zone, a dedicated site has been built where people can bring their garden waste that includes potential host plants. Information about this outbreak has also been circulated to home owners and companies located in the buffer zone. The specific survey of the buffer zone will continue in 2016 (visual inspections, sniffer dogs and pheromone traps).
The pest status of Anoplophora glabripennis in Finland is officially declared as: Present, under eradication.
Sources
NPPO of Finland (2016-04).