origin

Native to East Asia. The first North American discovery of Asian longhorned beetle was in New York City in 1996. A large infestation was found in Worcester, MA, 45 miles from Vermont, in 2008.

habitat

ALB larvae tunnel deep into the trunk and branches of many hardwood species. When adults emerge, they feed on the leaves. ALB host species include: ash, birch, elm, golden raintree, sycamore, maple, horse chestnut, katsura, mimosa, mountain ash, poplar, and willow.

Lifecycle

There is one generation of ALB each year. Like other beetles, the ALB goes through 4 stages in its lifecycle.

Adult females chew out an egg niche in the bark of a living tree. She lays a single, tiny egg, about 0.5mm long, oval and white in color, on the inner bark. 

Eggs hatch in 1 to 2 weeks. 

Young larvae feed just below the bark for about 20 days in the cambium layer. Older larvae bore into the sapwood and heartwood of the trunk and branches, creating tunnels up to ½ inch in diameter, thereby structurally compromising the tree. Branches with tunnels are weakened and may break during windy weather, potentially causing property damage or personal injury.

Larvae overwinter in tunnels and resume feeding in spring. Mature larvae can reach a length of 2 inches.

Pupation occurs in late spring or early summer and adults may emerge from early to mid-summer.

Adults chew a perfectly round emergence hole, about the size of a dime, and exit the tree. Adult beetles feed on the bark and leaves, but this feeding causes little damage to the tree. 

Each adult female can lay up to 90 eggs in their lifetime.

Learn about the biology of Asian Longhorned Beetle at the USDA APHIS Asian Longhorned Beetle site

Ecological threat

The Asian longhorned beetle threatens our hardwood trees. It threatens recreation and forest resources (like maple syrup!) valued at billions of dollars. The ALB has the potential to cause more damage than Dutch elm disease, chestnut blight and spongy moths combined.