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Field guide to exotic pests and diseases: Asian longhorn beetle
Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky)
Asian longhorn beetle exit holes and frass.
Adult Asian longhorn beetle.
Source: USDA Forest Service
Identification: larvae elongate and cylindrical with reduced head and legs, 50mm long at maturity. Adult beetles 50-70mm long, shiny black with about 20 white dots on wing-covers. Antennae black with white rings, much longer than the body. Plate-shaped feet black with whitish-blue upper surface.
Hosts: standing trees and timber of many species including elm, willow, poplar, apple, plum, maple.
Distribution: Southern China, Korea, Japan, introduced to USA (some parts).
Detection:Eggs: laid under tree bark in oval to round darkened wounds.
Larvae: tunnel into the heartwood of the tree; feeding can cause branch breakage, branch and tree death.
Adults: emerge in summer from trees or timber from circular holes 9-11mm in diameter, often leave piles of sawdust at base of trees or in branch crevices, live for 3-66 days, strong fliers. Probable means of entry into Australia is in imported timber and wood used for packing materials from Asia.
Potential impact: very destructive, and could potentially devastate Australia’s hardwood forests, apple and pear plantations and parkland trees.