Asian Longhorn Beetle
Pest or disease?
Pest
Latin name:
Anoplophora glabripennis
Host trees:
A broad variety of broadleaf trees
Present in the UK?
No
Tree Alert required?
Yes
Asian longhorn beetle is a highly destructive pest of many broadleaf trees, including maple, sycamore, willow, and plane.
Asian longhorn beetle is not currently known to be in the UK. In 2012 an outbreak occurred in Kent, resulting in a rapid eradication programme. This programme was successful, no evidence of Asian longhorn beetle has been found in the area since. This pest is native to Asia and could potentially enter the UK in wood products or live plants.
The beetles have a juvenile larval stage in their lifecycle. The larvae cause destruction by feeding and tunnelling under the bark of the tree. This can weaken the tree and ultimately be fatal. Signs to look out for include circular exit holes in the bark (I cm in diameter), sawdust-like waste material around the base of the tree and feeding damage to the bark, shoots and leaves. As most of the pest’s life is spent inside the tree, detection can be difficult. For more information on this pest please see the resources below.
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Asian and citrus longhorn beetles field identification guide
PDF • 3.43 MB
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Asian and citrus longhorn beetles poster
PDF • 685 KB
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Asian/citrus longhorn beetle training video
Video • 00:12:08
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Asian longhorn beetle 2012 Outbreak information
External link
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Asian longhorn beetle detailed information
External link