United States
Department of Agriculture

Forest Service

Northeastern Area
NA-PR-01-97

A longhorn beetle has recently been discovered attacking trees in Brooklyn and Amityville, NY. Its scientific name is Anoplophora glabripennis and this is the first time it has been seen in the United States. This insect is native to Japan, Korea, and southern China where it kills trees.

In New York the beetle has been attacking maple (Acer) species, including Norway, red, sugar, silver, and boxelder maple and sycamore maple. Horsechestnut (Aesculus) trees have also been heavily attacked. In China, it attacks other hardwoods including elms, poplars and willows. In the United States it is important to limit its spread because it may become a significant tree pest here.

What to look for:

• Adult beetles are large-bodied with very long antenna. Their bodies are black with white spots, and their antenna are black and white (Figure 1). The best time to see the adults is from May to October.
• Large (3/8" diameter) round holes anywhere on the tree including branches, trunk, and exposed roots. These are the sites where adults exit from the trees (Figure 2).
• Oval to round, darkened wounds in the bark (Figure 2). These are oviposition sites where adult females chew out a place to lay their eggs.
• Large piles of coarse sawdust around the base of trees or where branches meet the main stem (Figure 3).

If you see this beetle, please call:
The Department of Agriculture in your State
In Illinois, contact the Illinois Department of Agriculture hotline number at: 1-800-641-3934

Photo Credits. Figure 1: Charlie Harrington, Cornell University. Figure 2: E. Richard Hoebeke, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Figure 3: USFS, Northeastern Area. Prepared by USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection, Durham, NH.