Emerald ash borer
Encyclopedia
The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis or Agrilus marcopoli and EAB) is a green beetle
native to Asia.
In North America the borer is an invasive species
, highly destructive to ash trees in its introduced range. The potential damage of this insect rivals that of Chestnut blight
and Dutch Elm Disease
. Since its accidental introduction into the United States and Canada in the 1990s, and its subsequent detection in 2002, it has spread to 14 states and adjacent parts of Canada. It has killed at least 50 to 100 million ash trees so far and threatens to kill most of the 7.5 billion ash trees throughout North America. The emerald ash borer is now one of the most destructive non-native insects in the United States; it and other wood-boring pests cause an estimated $3.5 billion in annual damages in the U.S.
The insect threatens the entire North American Fraxinus genus, unlike past invasive tree pests, which have only threatened a single species within a genus. The green ash and the black ash trees are preferred. White ash is also killed rapidly, but usually only after green and black ash trees are eliminated. Blue ash displays some resistance to the emerald ash borer by forming callous tissue around EAB galleries; however, they are usually killed eventually as well.
The adult beetle is dark metallic green, bullet-shaped and about 8.5 millimetre (0.334645669291339 in) long and 1.6 mm ( in) wide. The body is narrow and elongated, and the head is flat with black eyes. The larvae are approximately 1 mm ( in) diameter, 26 to 32 mm (1 to 1.3 ) long, and are a creamy white color. The eggs turn to a yellow brown color prior to hatching. Adults lay eggs in crevasses in the bark. Larvae burrow into the bark after hatching and consume the cambium
and phloem
, effectively girdling
the tree and causing death within two years. The average emerging season for the emerald ash borer is early spring to late summer. Females lay around 75 eggs, but up to 300 from early May to mid-July. The borer's life cycle is estimated to be one year in southern Michigan but may be up to two years in colder regions.
Life Cycle
The adult emerald ash borer emerges in May–July and the female lays numerous eggs in bark crevaces and between layers of bark. The eggs hatch in 7–10 days and larvae bore into the tree where they chew the inner bark and phloem creating winding galleries as they feed. This cuts off the flow of the water and nutrients in the tree, causing dieback and death.
, northern China
, Japan
, and Korea
.
Its first confirmed North American detection was in June 2002 in Canton, Michigan. It is suspected, that it was introduced by overseas shipping containers being delivered to Yazaki North America. It has since been found in several other parts of the United States and Canada
. Ohio
, Minnesota
, and Ontario
have experienced emerald ash borer migration from Michigan. Additionally, Maryland
and Virginia
received shipments of contaminated trees from a Michigan nursery. The emerald ash borer was confirmed in Indiana
in April 2004, in Central Kentucky
in the Spring of 2009 and in Northeast Iowa
in May 2010.
USDA APHIS PPQ used to attempt eradication of the insect, but its distribution is far too broad at this time and funds are lacking. Quarantine zones are still set up from which unprocessed raw hardwood material cannot be removed. The quarantine applies not only to the counties where the emerald ash borer has been detected but also high risk counties as well. The infected states have prohibited the movement of firewood from one state to another trying to eliminate the spread and fully enforce the quarantine zone. Large fines were imposed on a few companies that violated the ban, including one that was transplanting ash trees from southeast Michigan to Virginia and Maryland and is believed to be responsible for spreading the beetle to those states. The USDA has spent several hundreds of millions of dollars trying to minimize the ecological impact of EAB.
Michigan officials announced 2005-09-14 that ash borer infestation had crossed the Straits of Mackinac
and was now in the Upper Peninsula for the first time. Wisconsin
environmental officials consider it a grave threat and began preparations years ago for surveys in the state. Several counties in Indiana
are under quarantine. However, states and cities are running out of money to combat the problem and many authorities feel that the borer will spread throughout North America. The EAB can move short distances by flying as well as surviving long distances in transit on ash tree nursery stock, Ash logs, branches, and firewood.
In June 2006, it was reported that emerald ash borers had been found at a home near Lily Lake, Illinois
. Illinois officials have regulated several counties because it was found to be widespread. In July, 2006, further infestations were discovered in northern Cook County, Illinois
, including Wilmette
, Evanston
, and Winnetka
.
In June 2007, it was reported that emerald ash borers have been found in Cranberry Township
, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
.
On June 27, 2008, The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reported that the state Department of Agriculture says the emerald ash borer has been found in Mercer County
. The invasive beetle was discovered in Butler and Allegheny counties last summer. Officials are surveying this year to gauge whether the insect has spread. Mercer joins Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties in a quarantine prohibiting the movement of ash nursery stocks, green lumber and firewood.
In October 2007, an emerald ash borer larva
was discovered in a West Virginia
Department of Agriculture "detection tree" located in Fayette County
. This detection tree was located in a recreational site, with camping, mountain biking, and white water rafting. It is believed that the pest arrived in firewood that was illegally transported by tourists visiting the New River Gorge area, a popular site for white water rafting (USDA-APHIS-PPQ).
As of December 2007, a federal quarantine has been imposed on the following areas in the U. S. for Emerald Ash Borer: the lower peninsula of Michigan; Mackinac County, Michigan; the entire states of Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana; Prince Georges County, Maryland; and Fayette County, West Virginia. (USDA-APHIS)
The state of Missouri
has issued a quarantine for the entirety of Wayne County to prevent the beetle from leaving this area where it has been heavily detected.
Emerald Ash Borer has also extended its distribution in Canada. As of August 2009, the following areas are regulated by the CFIA in Ontario: Essex, Lambton, Middlesex, Elgin, Huron, and Norfolk Counties, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, the Cities of Hamilton and Toronto and the Regional Municipalities of Durham, York, Peel and Halton, the City of Sault Ste. Marie, and the City of Ottawa; in Quebec: The City of Gatineau and Municipalities of Carignan, Chambly, Richelieu, Saint-Basile-le-Grand and Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu.
By June 2008, emerald ash borers were discovered in the city of Chicago
, and in the far south-west corner of Naperville
.
It was confirmed by Canadian Agriculture officials to be present in Monteregie, Quebec. This region lies directly north of New England, therefore drastically increasing the likelihood of being found in New England.
On Tuesday, July 29, 2008, it was announced that the Missouri Department of Agriculture has detected the emerald ash borer in the state. On Monday, August 4, Wisconsin confirmed that the first appearance in the state was detected in the village of Newburg, Wisconsin
, in Ozaukee County.
On March 11, 2009 it was confirmed in Mifflin County, Pa
. This county lies in the Eastern Central part of the state. As of August 12, 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture reports that two-thirds of the state has been infested with the EAB, most in counties west of the Pocono Mountains.
The insect was furthermore detected in Victory, Wisconsin
by agricultural officials on Tuesday April 7, 2009. This town is in the western part of the state, and borders Iowa and Minnesota. It is also along the Mississippi River
, which may serve as a pathway for the insect.
On May 14, 2009, spread of the emerald ash borer was confirmed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture in St. Paul, Minnesota. This represents the most westerly location it has been found thus far in North America.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced on June 17, 2009 that the emerald ash borer was recently discovered for the first time within the borders of New York State, in the Cattaraugus County town of Randolph.
The species was also detected in South Buffalo, New York in early 2011. As of August, 2011, the emerald ash borer was confirmed throughout Monroe County and in the City of Rochester.
In early July 2011, City workers spotted the beetle in some trees in the southeast borough of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in the City of Montreal.
Authorities across the US are continuing to determine the exact extent of EAB by placing purple traps nationwide.
In 2011, the Emerald Ash Borer was found in traps on Manitoulin Island
. The insect was found in July 2011, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and was identified in late autumn. The CFIA made a presentation to Northeast Manitoulin and the Islands town council on November 17, 2011.
Evidence of the emerald ash borer sometimes takes up to a year to recognize. Some signs that the emerald ash borer has infested a tree are D–shaped holes in the bark of the trunk or branches and shoots growing from the base of the tree.
The beetle kills trees because the feeding larvae damage both the phloem (responsible for nutrient transport throughout the tree) and xylem (responsible for take-up of water and nutrients) tissues of the tree. The beetle effectively girdles
the tree. As long as the beetle does not eat into the bark at the very base of the tree, these sprouts can still get nutrients to grow and can continue to grow even after the main trunk is cut down. Unfortunately, once these sprouts reach one inch in diameter, they then become attractive targets for the EAB.
The insect is unusually difficult to kill. More than 7.5 billion ash trees are currently at risk. Nearly 114 million board feet (33,000 m³) of ash saw timber with a value of US$
25.1 billion is grown in the eastern United States each year. Over forty million ash trees have died or are dying in the United States at this time. The full time it takes for a tree to die due to the EAB is generally two or three years.
The Emerald Ash Borer has killed nearly 30 million ash trees. Losses are estimated in the tens of millions of dollars.
The National Ash Seed Collection Initiative collects and stores ash seeds in cryogenic vaults at the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation in Fort Collins, CO. If the population of American ash trees is destroyed, the stored seeds will be the genetic base to re-establish ash.
A pilot study is being undertaken in Michigan to determine if three different parasitic wasps can deter the emerald ash borer. These tiny stingless wasps can sense beetles underneath the bark and then lay their eggs in the larvae or egg, thus killing them. There have been doubts as to whether this biological control program will work, due to the fact that North American ash trees perish rapidly to the borer when they are planted in Asia, even where the parasitoids are present. It is not known at this time whether their release will have any unintended ecological impacts.The wasps have been released according to a Michigan newspaper. The releases began in July 2007, a few weeks later than they had hoped. (modification: USDA-APHIS-PPQ)
, a gregarious larval endoparasitoid,Oobius agrili
, a solitary, parthenogenic egg parasitoid, and Spathius agrili
, a gregarious larval ectoparasitoid. These have been been introduced and released into the United States of America as a possible biological control of the emerald ash borer. Initial results have shown promise with Tetrastichus planipennisi and it is now being released along with Beauveria bassiana
, a fungal pathogen
with known insecticidal properties.
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
native to Asia.
In North America the borer is an invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
, highly destructive to ash trees in its introduced range. The potential damage of this insect rivals that of Chestnut blight
Chestnut blight
The pathogenic fungus Cryphonectria parasitica is a member of the ascomycota category, and is the main cause of chestnut blight, a devastating disease of the American chestnut tree that caused a mass extinction in the early 1900s of this once plentiful tree from its historic range in the eastern...
and Dutch Elm Disease
Dutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease is a disease caused by a member of the sac fungi category, affecting elm trees which is spread by the elm bark beetle. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease has been accidentally introduced into America and Europe, where it has devastated native...
. Since its accidental introduction into the United States and Canada in the 1990s, and its subsequent detection in 2002, it has spread to 14 states and adjacent parts of Canada. It has killed at least 50 to 100 million ash trees so far and threatens to kill most of the 7.5 billion ash trees throughout North America. The emerald ash borer is now one of the most destructive non-native insects in the United States; it and other wood-boring pests cause an estimated $3.5 billion in annual damages in the U.S.
The insect threatens the entire North American Fraxinus genus, unlike past invasive tree pests, which have only threatened a single species within a genus. The green ash and the black ash trees are preferred. White ash is also killed rapidly, but usually only after green and black ash trees are eliminated. Blue ash displays some resistance to the emerald ash borer by forming callous tissue around EAB galleries; however, they are usually killed eventually as well.
Biology
Vascular cambium
The vascular cambium is a part of the morphology of plants. It consists of cells that are partly specialized, for the tissues that transport water solutions, but have not reached any of the final forms that occur in their branch of the specialization graph...
and phloem
Phloem
In vascular plants, phloem is the living tissue that carries organic nutrients , in particular, glucose, a sugar, to all parts of the plant where needed. In trees, the phloem is the innermost layer of the bark, hence the name, derived from the Greek word "bark"...
, effectively girdling
Girdling
Girdling, also called ring barking or ring-barking, is the complete removal of a strip of bark from around the entire circumference of either a branch or trunk of a woody plant. Girdling results in the death of wood tissues beyond the damage...
the tree and causing death within two years. The average emerging season for the emerald ash borer is early spring to late summer. Females lay around 75 eggs, but up to 300 from early May to mid-July. The borer's life cycle is estimated to be one year in southern Michigan but may be up to two years in colder regions.
Life Cycle
The adult emerald ash borer emerges in May–July and the female lays numerous eggs in bark crevaces and between layers of bark. The eggs hatch in 7–10 days and larvae bore into the tree where they chew the inner bark and phloem creating winding galleries as they feed. This cuts off the flow of the water and nutrients in the tree, causing dieback and death.
Distribution and dates of detection
The natural range of the emerald ash borer is eastern RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, northern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
.
Its first confirmed North American detection was in June 2002 in Canton, Michigan. It is suspected, that it was introduced by overseas shipping containers being delivered to Yazaki North America. It has since been found in several other parts of the United States and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, and Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
have experienced emerald ash borer migration from Michigan. Additionally, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
received shipments of contaminated trees from a Michigan nursery. The emerald ash borer was confirmed in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
in April 2004, in Central Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
in the Spring of 2009 and in Northeast Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
in May 2010.
USDA APHIS PPQ used to attempt eradication of the insect, but its distribution is far too broad at this time and funds are lacking. Quarantine zones are still set up from which unprocessed raw hardwood material cannot be removed. The quarantine applies not only to the counties where the emerald ash borer has been detected but also high risk counties as well. The infected states have prohibited the movement of firewood from one state to another trying to eliminate the spread and fully enforce the quarantine zone. Large fines were imposed on a few companies that violated the ban, including one that was transplanting ash trees from southeast Michigan to Virginia and Maryland and is believed to be responsible for spreading the beetle to those states. The USDA has spent several hundreds of millions of dollars trying to minimize the ecological impact of EAB.
Straits of Mackinac
The Straits of Mackinac is the strip of water that connects two of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and separates the Lower Peninsula of Michigan from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is a shipping lane providing passage for raw materials and finished goods, connecting, for...
and was now in the Upper Peninsula for the first time. Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
environmental officials consider it a grave threat and began preparations years ago for surveys in the state. Several counties in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
are under quarantine. However, states and cities are running out of money to combat the problem and many authorities feel that the borer will spread throughout North America. The EAB can move short distances by flying as well as surviving long distances in transit on ash tree nursery stock, Ash logs, branches, and firewood.
In June 2006, it was reported that emerald ash borers had been found at a home near Lily Lake, Illinois
Lily Lake, Illinois
Lily Lake is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The town is 11 miles southwest of Elgin and 43 miles west of Chicago. The village is part of the Chicago metro area. It was incorporated as a village on November 6, 1990...
. Illinois officials have regulated several counties because it was found to be widespread. In July, 2006, further infestations were discovered in northern Cook County, Illinois
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
, including Wilmette
Wilmette, Illinois
Wilmette is a village in New Trier Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located north of Chicago's downtown district and has a population of 27,651. Wilmette is considered a bedroom community in the North Shore district...
, Evanston
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
, and Winnetka
Winnetka, Illinois
Winnetka is an affluent North Shore village located approximately north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. Winnetka was featured on the list of America's 25 top-earning towns and "one of the best places to live" by CNN Money in 2011...
.
In June 2007, it was reported that emerald ash borers have been found in Cranberry Township
Cranberry Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania
Cranberry Township is a township in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is classified as a Second Class Township and follows the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Second Class Township Code. The population was 28,098 as of the 2010 census....
, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
.
On June 27, 2008, The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reported that the state Department of Agriculture says the emerald ash borer has been found in Mercer County
Mercer County, Pennsylvania
Mercer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 116,638. Its county seat is Mercer; Sharon is its largest city....
. The invasive beetle was discovered in Butler and Allegheny counties last summer. Officials are surveying this year to gauge whether the insect has spread. Mercer joins Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties in a quarantine prohibiting the movement of ash nursery stocks, green lumber and firewood.
In October 2007, an emerald ash borer larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
was discovered in a West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
Department of Agriculture "detection tree" located in Fayette County
Fayette County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,579 people, 18,945 households, and 13,128 families residing in the county. The population density was 72 people per square mile . There were 21,616 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...
. This detection tree was located in a recreational site, with camping, mountain biking, and white water rafting. It is believed that the pest arrived in firewood that was illegally transported by tourists visiting the New River Gorge area, a popular site for white water rafting (USDA-APHIS-PPQ).
As of December 2007, a federal quarantine has been imposed on the following areas in the U. S. for Emerald Ash Borer: the lower peninsula of Michigan; Mackinac County, Michigan; the entire states of Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana; Prince Georges County, Maryland; and Fayette County, West Virginia. (USDA-APHIS)
The state of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
has issued a quarantine for the entirety of Wayne County to prevent the beetle from leaving this area where it has been heavily detected.
Emerald Ash Borer has also extended its distribution in Canada. As of August 2009, the following areas are regulated by the CFIA in Ontario: Essex, Lambton, Middlesex, Elgin, Huron, and Norfolk Counties, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, the Cities of Hamilton and Toronto and the Regional Municipalities of Durham, York, Peel and Halton, the City of Sault Ste. Marie, and the City of Ottawa; in Quebec: The City of Gatineau and Municipalities of Carignan, Chambly, Richelieu, Saint-Basile-le-Grand and Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu.
By June 2008, emerald ash borers were discovered in the city of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and in the far south-west corner of Naperville
Naperville, Illinois
Naperville is a city in DuPage and Will Counties in Illinois in the United States, voted the second best place to live in the United States by Money Magazine in 2006. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 141,853. It is the fifth largest city in the state, behind Chicago,...
.
It was confirmed by Canadian Agriculture officials to be present in Monteregie, Quebec. This region lies directly north of New England, therefore drastically increasing the likelihood of being found in New England.
On Tuesday, July 29, 2008, it was announced that the Missouri Department of Agriculture has detected the emerald ash borer in the state. On Monday, August 4, Wisconsin confirmed that the first appearance in the state was detected in the village of Newburg, Wisconsin
Newburg, Wisconsin
Newburg is a village in Ozaukee and Washington Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 1,119 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Newburg is located at...
, in Ozaukee County.
On March 11, 2009 it was confirmed in Mifflin County, Pa
Mifflin County, Pennsylvania
Mifflin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 46,682. Its county seat is Lewistown. It is named after Thomas Mifflin, the first Governor of Pennsylvania.-Geography:...
. This county lies in the Eastern Central part of the state. As of August 12, 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture reports that two-thirds of the state has been infested with the EAB, most in counties west of the Pocono Mountains.
The insect was furthermore detected in Victory, Wisconsin
Victory, Wisconsin
Victory, Wisconsin is a small unincorporated community in the Town of Wheatland in Vernon County, Wisconsin. It is located 4.5 miles north of De Soto and 6.2 miles south of Genoa on the Mississippi River along the Great River Road . The Battle of Bad Axe, the final battle of the Black Hawk War of...
by agricultural officials on Tuesday April 7, 2009. This town is in the western part of the state, and borders Iowa and Minnesota. It is also along the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, which may serve as a pathway for the insect.
On May 14, 2009, spread of the emerald ash borer was confirmed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture in St. Paul, Minnesota. This represents the most westerly location it has been found thus far in North America.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced on June 17, 2009 that the emerald ash borer was recently discovered for the first time within the borders of New York State, in the Cattaraugus County town of Randolph.
The species was also detected in South Buffalo, New York in early 2011. As of August, 2011, the emerald ash borer was confirmed throughout Monroe County and in the City of Rochester.
In early July 2011, City workers spotted the beetle in some trees in the southeast borough of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in the City of Montreal.
Authorities across the US are continuing to determine the exact extent of EAB by placing purple traps nationwide.
In 2011, the Emerald Ash Borer was found in traps on Manitoulin Island
Manitoulin Island
Manitoulin Island is a Canadian island in Lake Huron, in the province of Ontario. It is the largest island in a freshwater lake in the world. In addition to the historic Anishinaabe and European settlement of the island, archeological discoveries at Sheguiandah have demonstrated Paleo-Indian and...
. The insect was found in July 2011, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and was identified in late autumn. The CFIA made a presentation to Northeast Manitoulin and the Islands town council on November 17, 2011.
Environmental and economic impact
The beetle kills trees because the feeding larvae damage both the phloem (responsible for nutrient transport throughout the tree) and xylem (responsible for take-up of water and nutrients) tissues of the tree. The beetle effectively girdles
Girdling
Girdling, also called ring barking or ring-barking, is the complete removal of a strip of bark from around the entire circumference of either a branch or trunk of a woody plant. Girdling results in the death of wood tissues beyond the damage...
the tree. As long as the beetle does not eat into the bark at the very base of the tree, these sprouts can still get nutrients to grow and can continue to grow even after the main trunk is cut down. Unfortunately, once these sprouts reach one inch in diameter, they then become attractive targets for the EAB.
The insect is unusually difficult to kill. More than 7.5 billion ash trees are currently at risk. Nearly 114 million board feet (33,000 m³) of ash saw timber with a value of US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
25.1 billion is grown in the eastern United States each year. Over forty million ash trees have died or are dying in the United States at this time. The full time it takes for a tree to die due to the EAB is generally two or three years.
The Emerald Ash Borer has killed nearly 30 million ash trees. Losses are estimated in the tens of millions of dollars.
The National Ash Seed Collection Initiative collects and stores ash seeds in cryogenic vaults at the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation in Fort Collins, CO. If the population of American ash trees is destroyed, the stored seeds will be the genetic base to re-establish ash.
A pilot study is being undertaken in Michigan to determine if three different parasitic wasps can deter the emerald ash borer. These tiny stingless wasps can sense beetles underneath the bark and then lay their eggs in the larvae or egg, thus killing them. There have been doubts as to whether this biological control program will work, due to the fact that North American ash trees perish rapidly to the borer when they are planted in Asia, even where the parasitoids are present. It is not known at this time whether their release will have any unintended ecological impacts.The wasps have been released according to a Michigan newspaper. The releases began in July 2007, a few weeks later than they had hoped. (modification: USDA-APHIS-PPQ)
Biological control
As part of the campaign against the emerald ash borer (EAB), American scientists in conjunction with the Chinese Academy of Forestry searched since 2003 for its natural enemies in the wild leading to the discovery of several parasitoid wasps, namely Tetrastichus planipennisiTetrastichus planipennisi
Tetrastichus planipennisi is a parasitic non stinging wasp of family Eulophidae which is native to North Asia. It is a parasitoid of the emerald ash borer , an invasive species which has destroyed tens of millions of ash trees in its introduced range in North America...
, a gregarious larval endoparasitoid,Oobius agrili
Oobius agrili
Oobius agrili is a parasitic non-stinging wasp of family Encyrtidae which is native to North Asia. It is a parasitoid of the emerald ash borer , an invasive species which has destroyed tens of millions of ash trees in its introduced range in North America...
, a solitary, parthenogenic egg parasitoid, and Spathius agrili
Spathius agrili
Spathius agrili is a parasitic non-stinging wasp of family Braconidae which is native to North Asia. It is a parasitoid of the emerald ash borer , an invasive species which has destroyed tens of millions of ash trees in its introduced range in North America...
, a gregarious larval ectoparasitoid. These have been been introduced and released into the United States of America as a possible biological control of the emerald ash borer. Initial results have shown promise with Tetrastichus planipennisi and it is now being released along with Beauveria bassiana
Beauveria bassiana
Beauveria bassiana is a fungus that grows naturally in soils throughout the world and acts as a parasite on various arthropod species, causing white muscardine disease; it thus belongs to the entomopathogenic fungi. It is being used as a biological insecticide to control a number of pests such as...
, a fungal pathogen
Pathogen
A pathogen gignomai "I give birth to") or infectious agent — colloquially, a germ — is a microbe or microorganism such as a virus, bacterium, prion, or fungus that causes disease in its animal or plant host...
with known insecticidal properties.
External links
- United States Department of Agriculture Public Awareness Campaign
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency
- Multistate EAB website
- Southeast Michigan Resource Conservation & Development Council - Ash Utilization Options Project - developing value-added products from ash trees affected by the emerald ash borer
- Emerald ash borer Indiana Information
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency
- Indiana based EAB Research and Treatment Organization
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
- Ohio Department of Natural Resources page on EAB
- USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station link to research on EAB
- Ohio Department of Agriculture infestation PDF map
- Wisconsin's Emerald Ash Borer Information Source
- http://www.arborsystems.com/PDF/research/EAB_Chemical_Flyer.pdf
- Species Profile- Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis), National Invasive Species Information Center, United States National Agricultural LibraryUnited States National Agricultural LibraryThe United States National Agricultural Library is one of the world's largest agricultural research libraries, and serves as a National Library of the United States and as the library of the United States Department of Agriculture...
. Lists general information and resources for Emerald Ash Borer.