Plant Health
| Asian Longhorned Beetle |
Select an image to see a larger photo
| Biology | ||
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Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) egg oviposition site. The adult beetle chews a small notch in the bark of a tree and then lays an egg just under the bark. | |
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ALB larva. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae bore their way through the bark into the tree, feeding on the sensitive vascular layer beneath. The larvae continue to feed deeper into the tree's heartwood forming tunnels, or galleries, in the trunk and branches. | |
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ALB pupa inside log with frass from feeding as larva. | |
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Adult beetles feed on the bark of tender twigs. Larvae transform into pupae which then emerge as adult beetles from late spring through early fall. | |
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ALB Adult on leaf | |
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Female ALB chewing an egg site while male ALB guards her. Image: Michael Bohne | |
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ALB Adult with holes in log from larval boring activity. | |
| Survey and Detection | ||
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Inspection for ALB in imported cargo. | |
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Visual inspection for ALB from the ground. | |
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Visual inspection for ALB from bucket trucks. | |
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Visual inspection for ALB by tree climbers. | |
| Damage | ||
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Egg sites and exit holes on heavily infested tree. Image: Julie Twardowski. | |
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Sap flow from egg sites sometimes occurs. Image: Julie Twardowski. | |
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Close up of egg sites on tree branch. Image: Julie Twardowski | |
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Egg sites and exit holes. A male beetle guards his mate. Image: Julie Twardowski. | |
| Regulatory | ||
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Movement of logs, firewood and other wood debris from ALB infested areas is a primary means of spreading the pest over long distances. | |
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Chipping wood debris prior to moving it prevents spread of the pest. | |
| Control | ||
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Administering treatments -- A small hole is drilled through the bark. One capsule containing chemical is placed in each hole. The number of capsules depends on the size of the tree - one capsule per two inches of diameter at breast height (DBH). |
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Trunk injection with Mauget capsules. A chemical is inserted directly into the tree. The tree's circulatory system moves the chemical to locations where the ALB feeds, ingests the chemical, and dies. | |
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Basal soil injection using portable hand pump system. Chemical is applied into the soil near the base of the tree using an injection wand for uptake by the tree's root system. This injection wand can also be used connected to a tank truck. | |
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Low pressure trunk injection with the Arborjet VIPER unit | |
| Restoration | ||
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Locations where infested trees were removed are replaced with trees that are not susceptible to the pest. | |
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