Agrilus planipennis

From BugwoodWiki

emerald ash borer Photo by Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources - Forestry Archive, , Bugwood.org Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Hexapoda (including Insecta) Order: Coleoptera Family: Buprestidae Genus: Agrilus Species: planipennis Scientific Name Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, 1888

Author: Joseph LaForest, University of Georgia

Contents 1 Origin and Distribution 2 Pathways and modes of spread 3 Hosts 4 Identification 5 Life cycle 6 Damage 7 Image Gallery 8 Links

Origin and Distribution

Emerald ash borer (EAB) is native to Asia. It is known to be established in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Canada. EAB probably arrived in the United States on solid wood packing material from Asia.

Pathways and modes of spread

U.S. pathways include: movement of infested live ash trees, limbs, firewood, logs, and untreated ash lumber.

Hosts

Hosts include all ash (Fraxinus spp.) species; however, green ash, white ash, and black ash are more susceptible than Asian varieties.

Identification

It is a small, brassy-green, metallic wood-boring beetle measuring 1/3 to 1/2 inches in length. Larvae have bell-shaped segments with two dark spines at the tip of the abdomen. These are urogomphi and are diagnostic for larvae in the genus Agrilus.

Life cycle

Females lay eggs 2 weeks after emergence. Eggs are initially light-yellow, turning to brownish-yellow before hatching. Eggs hatch in 1-2 weeks, and the tiny larvae bore through the bark and into the cambium and phloem. The creamy white larvae are 1 – 1 1/4 inches long with flat, broad, segmented bodies. Adults begin emerging in mid-June leaving 0.1 – 0.2 inches “D” shaped emergence holes. The life cycle in Michigan takes between 1-2 years depending on the climate.

Damage

Some irregular notching may be observed on the foliage as the newly emerged adults will feed on it. Larvae feed in the cambium creating S-shaped frass-packed tunnels. Vertical splits in the bark are created by the tree forming callus tissue in response to larval feeding. The damage by the larvae causes general yellowing and thinning of the foliage followed by crown dieback and the eventual death of the tree. Basal sprouting and the presence of woodpeckers may indicate wood-boring beetle activity. After 1 to 2 years of infestation, the bark often falls off in pieces from damaged trees, exposing the insect galleries.

Image Gallery

Photo by David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org	Photo by David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org	Photo by Pest and Diseases Image Library, , Bugwood.org	Photo by David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org	Photo by Toby Petrice, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Photo by David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org	Photo by Pest and Diseases Image Library, , Bugwood.org	Photo by Michigan Department of Agriculture, , Bugwood.org	Photo by Pest and Diseases Image Library, , Bugwood.org	Photo by David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org
Photo by Pest and Diseases Image Library, , Bugwood.org	Photo by Pest and Diseases Image Library, , Bugwood.org

Links

• The primary resource for Emerald Ash Borer Information in the United States
• Forest Service Emerald Ash Borer site
• Wisconsin resource site for Emerald Ash Borer
• Ohio Emerald Ash Borer site
• USDA Emerald Ash Borer site
• Indiana Emerald Ash Borer site
• Michigan Emerald Ash Borer site
• National Invasive Species Information Center Emerald Ash Borer site
• Minnesota Emerald Ash Borer site

States and Regions

General