One beetle of Anoplophora chinensis found in Austria
Anoplophora chinensis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae – EPPO A2 List) was previously confirmed to be absent from Austria based on annual surveys. The NPPO of Austria recently informed the EPPO Secretariat that in July 2026 a private individual found a single male A. chinensis beetle on the lawn of a childcare centre in Klöch municipality (Oststeiermark region, Steiermark state). The pest was identified morphologically by the Department of Forest protection in July 2026 and using a molecular test by the National Reference Laboratory in August 2026.
Official eradication measures have been applied. Visual inspections of host plants are conducted within 100 m of the finding since end of July 2026 and will be continued in an extended radius according to the national contingency plan. This will be supplemented using sniffer dogs. No signs of the pest have been observed in host plants (Acer spp., Crataegus spp., Fagus spp., Platanus spp. and Salix spp.) present in the immediate vicinity of the finding. No high-risk premises, such as nurseries or garden centres, occur in the immediate vicinity of the finding. Traceback investigations are ongoing and awareness campaigns have been conducted. The entry pathway remains unclear. The NPPO of Austria considers this finding to be an isolated case.
The pest status of Anoplophora chinensis in Austria is under determination.
Sources
NPPO of Austria (2026-08).