1. Asian Longhorned Beetle:
Threat to shade trees across
North America
Kelli Hoover
Penn State University
University Park, PA

2. How did ALB get
here and where
did it come
from?

3. Beetle Damage
Katsura tree
Cercidiphyllum
japonicum
is a new confirmed
host for ALB

4. ALB impacts
• Estimated loss of 30% of urban trees, 26% of
canopy cover, & value loss of $669 billion
(Nowak et al. 2010)
• Infestations in NY, IL, NJ, OH, MA, Toronto & 9
countries in Europe
• Survey, eradication & prophylactic treatment
$300-400 million to date
• 25 known host species in U.S. (47 worldwide)
– Acer, Fraxinus, Ulmus, Populus, Salix
• USDA-APHIS management goal: eradication

5. Will the real ALB please stand up?
• Large, 0.75-1.25 inches long; hardwoods
• Very long black and white antennae
• Body glossy black with irregular white spots
Male
Female

6. Whitespotted sawyer (Monochamus
scutellatus)
Male
Female
• Adults 0.75-1.25 inches in length; attack conifers
• Males metallic black with 1 white dot at base of wing
covers. Females brown with speckles and with white dot at
base of wing covers (red arrow)
• ALB does not have this white dot, though has many white spots
on wing covers

7. Anoplophora chinensis (citrus
longhorned beetle)

8. For 5 points, which is ALB?

9. Other species mistaken for ALB
http://www.uvm.edu/albeetle/identification/index.html
Northeastern sawyer
Banded alder borer
Cottonwood borer
Eyed elater

10. 1996: First ALB discovered in New York City, NY
2000  2007: more in NJ, NY, and Staten Island
18,467 trees
removed in NY
21,981 trees
removed in NJ

11. 1998: ALB discovered in Chicago, IL
2004  2006: Declared Eradicated
1,771 trees
removed in IL

12. Quarantine zone
after expansion Nov. 2011
= 110 sq mi
23,540 infested
trees, almost 4 million
surveyed
August 15, 2008:
ALB first reported in Worcester, MA
Infestation dates back before 1998

13. Quarantine zone
56 sq mi and 8,000+ trees
infested
June 17, 2011:
ALB first reported in Bethel, Clermont
County, Ohio

14. Most recent ALB infestation
discovery late August
2013, Farmingdale, NY

15. Forest Block Before
After
Core Area Before
After

16. ALB Host List
http://www.uvm.edu/albeetle/hosts.htm

20. Possible Replacement Non-Hosts
 Japanese Lilac
 Kentucky Coffee Tree
 Dawn Redwood
 Southern Catalpa
 English Oak
 Swamp White Oak
 White Oak
 Bur Oak
 Basswood
 Tulip Tree
 Ironwood
 Serviceberry
 Gingko
 Bald Cypress
 Honey Locust
 Turkish Filbert
 Linden
 Apple/ Crabapple
 Cherry/ Plum
 Hawthorn
 Dogwood
 Magnolia
 Pear
 Black Walnut
 Buckthorn

21. Survey
Used in Program
• Ground survey
(accuracy ~30%)
• Tree climbing (60%
accuracy; time
consuming & expensive)
In Development
• Traps
• Detector Dogs

22. Identification of male-produced
pheromone
H
O
4-(n-heptyloxy)butanal
O
I
H
O
O
4-(n-heptyloxy)butan-1-ol
II
Male produced pheromone is a 1:1 (v/v) blend of dialkylethers (MP)
• Compounds identified and confirmed after organic
synthesis
• Structures unusual and have not been found in other
cerambycids to date
Zhang et al. 2002

23. Quarantine Facility at PSU

24. Initial studies on
pheromone/plant volatile
combinations

25. 2012 Number of beetles trapped in
9
Harbin, China
8
a*
Females
Males
Beetles Caught
7
6
a
5
c
4
3
b
2
b
b
b
b
1
0
* Difference between genders
Females: p = 0.0041
Males: p = 0.0818

26. Trapping studies
Worcester, MA
2009-2013
Pheromone + blend of
plant volatiles
Intercept Panel traps
Core of infestation
Trapping sites

27. Traps set up within
canopy

28. Some beetles caught in traps
where trees had already been
surveyed or all infested trees
thought to have been removed.
Further survey around trap
catches revealed
undetected, infested trees.

29. New infested trees found: used to
calculate potential draw distance
177 m exit holes
~40 m exit holes
84 m oviposition pits only
Empty trap
Trap caught beetles
Tree removed earlier
Infested Tree
27 July & 11 August, 2010
1 & 11 August, 2011

30. New Exit Holes and Trap Catches
Empty trap
Trap caught beetles
Infested Tree
(exit or oviposition)
9/1/2011
8/23/2011
9/27/201
1
8/23/2011
8/8/201
1
9/26/2011
9/2/2011
8/23 /2011
9/13/2011

31. Ongoing ALB Trap Research
• Refine lures to improve trap catch and
increase number of males and mated females
caught
• Evaluate best trap spacing for optimum
information on ALB populations in
neighborhoods
• Trial deployment in high risk areas to
detect new infestations

32. Funding Sources
USDA Forest
Service
Northeastern Area

33. USDA -APHIS
-Vic Mastro
- Christine Markham
- Al Sawyer
- Ron Mack & Crew
-Clint McFarland
-Joe Gittleman
Thank
you
PSU: Maya Nehme, Peter
Meng, Jim McNeil, David
Long, Ezra Schwartzberg
USDA Forest Service
Northern Research Station
- Trotter Crew
Sentinel Plant
- Keena Crew
Network
ALB Cooperative
Eradication Program
-Joan Mahoney
-Ken Gooch
-Kevin Freeman
-Julie Coop (MA
DCR)
-USDA Climbers
-NY Agriculture
and markets crew