| Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) Fairmaire, 1888 |
| Synonyms: Agrilus feretrius, Agrilus marcopoli |
.jpg) |
.jpg) |
Agrilus planipennis is a jewel beetle native to north-eastern Asia, including China, Korea, Japan, and the Russian Far East; introduced to North America in the early 1990s (in untreated wood materials), and Eastern Europe in the early 2000s. It is currently present in most of the eastern and mid-western United States and five Canadian provinces. Adults are 7.5-14 mm long with narrow and elongate bodies, flat heads, bright metallic green or coppery elytra, and metallic purplish-red abdomens. Host species are ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). Eggs are laid in bark crevices, or cracks; the larva burrows through the bark and creates extensive feeding galleries. Whereas in its native range, this species occurs at low densities and causes only minor damage to native Fraxinus (F. chinensis, F. mandschurica, F. lanuginose, etc.), in North America up to 99% of all infested ash trees die within 6-10 years. There, the larval feeding galleries disrupt the flow of nutrients and water, effectively girdling and killing tens of millions of ash trees (mainly F. pennsylvanica, F. nigra, and F. americana), threatening survival of the remaining populations, and affecting forest succession and species composition, biodiversity, and nutrient cycling. Adult beetles emerge in May-July. Although they can fly and disperse on their own, Emerald Ash Borer generally spreads through transportation of firewood.
.jpg)
.jpg)