Asian Longhorned Beetle
Quick Stats
- Latin Name: Anoplophora glabripennis
- Size: Adults measure in at less than about 5 cm head to back
- Color: Black and shiny with white spots – legs are usually whitish-blue in color
- Shape: Long and ovlular
- Found in: Originally in Chicago and New York City, they’re now most common along the eastern seaboard in states like Massachusetts, Vermont, and Delaware.
- Overview: Marked by an unusual coloration that sets them apart from other beetles, Asian Longhorned Beetles don’t actually have horns. Their antennae, as long as their body, give the appearance of horns which is how they got their name.
About Asian Longhorned Beetles
This highly-destructive species of beetle was originally introduced to the U.S. in the 1990s through imported wood brought to major metropolitan areas like Chicago and Manhattan. Because their larvae nest so deep inside hardwoods they can be incredibly difficult to detect and eradicate. They fly so they make their way to fallen wood many feet away from where they originally started; they nest in firewood, timber, and even rotting tree stumps.
Female Asian Longhorned Beetles chew a small hole in the wood to lay their eggs. Protected by a resin cover, the hatched beetles then eat their way through the interior of the wood throughout the overwinter process. Because the pests can chew thousands upon thousands of holes in the wood and often choose live trees as a habitat, the Asian Longhorn can kill whole forests once it starts to spread.
Facts About the Anobiid Powderpost Beetle
Although adult Asian Longhorned Beetles only live about 50-70 days they can cause much damage in the meantime. Their diet consists primarily of twigs, leaves, and wood of hardwoods and they’ve been known to eat healthy bark, too. Because their diet can cause so much structural damage to the three itself these pests are highly detrimental to the structural integrity of hardwood groves.
Unfortunately the only reliable way to get rid of Asian Longhorned Beetles is to cut, clip, or burn the affected trees where they live. Because they are so new to the United States no reliable method of chemical disposal has been found that doesn’t also harm the trees in which they reside. Asian Longhorned Beetles are most easily identified by the holes they bore in trees, or by sight. If you suspect you may have an Asian beetle infestation on your property or land it’s advisable to call in a pest professional immediately. These pests spread fast and the sooner they’re identified, the better.