Asian Long-Horned Beetle

The Asian Long-horned Beetle (ALHB) or Starry Sky Beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) is native to China, Korea and Japan. This insect is a pest of birch, elm, hackberry, horse chestnut, maple, mountain ash, poplar, silk tree, sycamore (a.k.a. London plane tree) and willow.

In China, it primarily attacks trunks and branches of healthy or weakened hardwood trees. Over the last few years, it has been intercepted on import cargo from Asia. It has been associated with non-manufactured wood packing material, such as pallets, spools and loose wood dunnage.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed the ALHB was found in 2003 in the area bordering the Ontario cities of Toronto and Vaughan. While the insect presents no threat to public health, it does pose a significant risk to Canada's hardwood trees and forests. The ALHB has no natural controls in North America that would prevent its spread.

Tree surveys have determined the central area of infestation to be in a primarily industrial area, roughly bordered by Hwy. 407, Hwy. 400, Finch Ave. W. and Milvan Drive in Woodbridge and Toronto. Survey crews have also found satellite infestations in the Ansley Grove Road area of Woodbridge, Beechwood Cemetery and the Thistletown area of Toronto. The beetle's most common means of travel is the movement of infested firewood.

The CFIA implemented an aggressive campaign to control and eradicate this unwanted pest, with the full co-operation of the City of Toronto, the City of Vaughan and other federal, provincial and municipal partners. In addition, a Regulated Area was established by Ministerial Order. The movement of live host material and firewood is prohibited from this area. Fines and penalties do exist.

The Eradication Process

In Ontario, eradication is ongoing. More than 160 square kilometres of Toronto and Vaughan urban forest have been surveyed, including individual public and private trees, ravines and wood lots. Surveys are being conducted from the ground, by tree climbers and/or bucket truck teams. Four levels of activities are associated with the ALHB survey and eradication plans:

Survey
Survey crews make tree identifications and evaluate characteristics of the pest population. This determines the ALHB dispersal and the impact on host tree material in the containment area. This information is then used to establish and confirm the ALHB Regulated Zone boundaries. Crews also follow up on referral calls from the public.

Tree Removal/Disposal
Crews remove trees previously identified and tagged by survey staff. Suitable host trees removed from public and private property are chipped on-site if they are not infested. Infested trees are transported to a designated CFIA site for research assessment and disposal.

Research
Evaluation of tree material is conducted for the purpose of collecting scientific data and creating a body of knowledge for planned activities. For example, the evaluation can help develop the eradication approach for the satellite areas and generate data for the international science community.

Recycling
Crews responsible for chipping and tub grinding turn the ALHB infested trees into safe, recyclable material.

To reduce the risk of spreading the beetle, residents and hired landscape maintenance companies or property management companies have been asked not to move any tree materials including nursery stock, firewood and fallen or pruned branches from the infested area.

ALHB Biology
The ALHB egg, larva, or pupa can survive over winter. Young adults emerge from infested trees in May attacking the same tree from which they emerged. However, they can fly several hundred meters in search of another host tree.

Adults are active from early summer to mid-fall. They feed on the bark of twigs periodically throughout the mating and egg-laying period. On sunny days the adult beetles are most active from mid morning to early afternoon. They usually rest in the canopy on cloudy days.

In preparation for egg-laying, females chew oval grooves in the bark in which they lay one egg about 5 to 7 millimetres in length. On average, each female will live 40 days and during that period will lay about 25 to 40 eggs. On the rare occasion, 200 eggs may be laid. The eggs will hatch in one to two weeks. The young larvae begin feeding in the phloem tissue. As they mature, they migrate into the wood creating tunnels. Larvae become pupae, then adults. The new adults emerge from the tree through large round holes about 10 to 15 millimetres in diameter.

Signs of infestation

1. Oval wounds in the bark, are the result of females chewing grooves in the bark in which to lay an egg. The wounds (10 to 15 millimetres) may occur anywhere on the tree, including branches, trunk, and exposed roots.

2. Sap is often seen to be dripping from the egg-laying wounds.

3. Large, round holes (10-15 millimetres in diameter), created by the newly emerging adults.

4. Piles of coarse sawdust around the base of the tree and in branch axils.

Adult Identification

The adults are large bluish-black beetles (2.5 to 3.5 centimetres in length) with white spots and very long antennae. The larvae and pupae are normally inside the tree within the larval tunnels. Full grown larvae can reach 50 millimetres in length.

The CFIA is asking the public to look for the signs of ALHB infestation. If you have found an ALHB or would like more information, please contact the CFIA at 416-665-5055 or 1-800-442-2342 or visit our website at www.inspection.gc.ca.