The Asian longhorn beetle has infested and devastated maples, and
other trees in New York City, Long Island and Chicago.

This China native gained entry by stowing away on packing crates
and slipping through inspections at international ports in those
areas.

With Georgia’s three major international ports in Savannah,
Brunswick and the Atlanta airport, could the state’s trees be in
danger?

“In Georgia, the Asian longhorn beetle has not yet caused a
problem,” says Keith Douce, an Extension Service entomologist
with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences.

“A number of safeguards are in place,” Douce said.”We have not
had a problem with it in Georgia, but it has been intercepted a
few times in Savannah.”

Inspections Prevent Infestation

Both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Georgia State
Department of Agriculture have thorough inspection systems to
protect against this dangerous insect.

“They inspect everything coming in, particularly shipments from
China, to ensure the insect does not escape and become
established here,” Douce said. “Any suspected shipments are
stopped. If the insects are found, the packing crate is fumigated
or rejected from entry.”

The safeguards are so stringent because where the beetle has
become established in the U.S., no control has been effective
beyond cutting down host trees. Entire neighborhoods have lost
beautiful stands of trees to try to stop the insect’s spread.

Identifying the Beetle

The Asian longhorn beetle is a typical hard-bodied beetle about
1½ inches long. It has a glossy black body with long antennae and
distinctive black and white markings on both the body and
antennae, the entomologist said.

It seems to prefer maples, including boxelder, Norway, red,
silver, sugar and sycamore maples. Other known hosts are
horsechestnut, black locust, elms, birches, willows, poplars and
green ash.

A complete list of host trees in the United States has not been
determined.

“The female insect finds a suitable host tree and lays from one
to 70 eggs, which hatch into larvae that bore into the wood,”
Douce said. “Eventually the tree weakens and become susceptible
to wind damage.”

Because the pest isn’t native to the U.S., no native organisms
help control it.

“When it becomes established,” Douce warned, “the population can
develop rapidly unchecked. It can be a serious problem for maples
and other trees.”

As long as state and federal inspection programs stay on guard,
any likely introductions would be stopped before they become
established, Douce said.

More information on this insect is available on the web at
http://www.gaipm.org/, or from your local county extension
office.