| Find The Beetles |
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The Washington State Department of Agriculture has asked anyone who spots what appears to be a citrus long-horned beetle to scoop it into a jar or other container and call 800/443-6684 for instructions on how to send the specimen for identification. |
OLYMPIA, Wash. - Closely resembling and just as destructive as the Asian long-horned beetle, the citrus long-horned beetle has been discovered in Tukwilla, Wash., prompting Washington State Department of Agriculture officials to solicit the help of the public to keep an eye out for evidence of the pest.
 Female citrus long-horned beetle |
Entomologists from the Washington State Department of Agriculture said the highly destructive citrus long-horned beetle (pictured at left and below right with enlarged images available at www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/pestaler/achinfm.gif) is a shiny black beetle, capable of flight, measuring 1 to 1½ inches long, with irregular white patches on its back and long distinguishable antennae that are banded with black and white.
The search for this beetle began immediately after the owner of a nursery in Tukwila brought what appeared to be an Asian long-horned beetle to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Seattle plant inspection office. Asian long-horned beetles have caused thousands of trees to be destroyed in Chicago and New York through eradication efforts (see Big Apple Has A Worm – The Asian Long-horned Beetle).
The entomologists caught two more beetles in a group of maple trees at the nursery on Aug. 9. They also found eight exit holes on the trees, indicating that up to five beetles are on the loose. Because many beetles resemble the Asian long-horned beetle, the beetles caught in Tukwila were sent to the Smithsonian for positive identification. They were positively identified as citrus long-horned beetles on Aug. 10. It is the first time the citrus long-horned beetle has been found in Washington.
 Male citrus long-horned beetle |
The citrus long-horned beetle is closely related to the Asian long-horned beetle, and it is just as destructive, said the Washington State Department of Agriculture. The agency noted that forests and landscapes could be severely damaged if the beetle is allowed to establish itself in the U.S.
The infected maple trees were imported from Korea, and the entire shipment of 369 trees has been destroyed. The trees were in the eighth month of a two-year long disease quarantine to ensure they were healthy before they could be sold to retail outlets or the public.
State and federal entomologists will be inspecting trees in the immediate area for egg sites or damage to leaves and bark that would indicate adult beetles have been feeding. The state and federal departments of agriculture are also discussing methods that can be used to prevent the beetles from becoming established in this state.
"Fortunately, we're ready," said Brad White, managing entomologist at the Washington State Department of Agriculture. "We've been gearing up for this fight for more than two years. One entomologist got firsthand knowledge of Asian long-horned beetle control measures in Chicago."
Citrus long-horned beetles are considered serious orchard pests in Asia. They represent an even larger threat to trees in this country where they have no natural enemies.
Females may lay as many as 200 eggs individually, not in egg masses, beneath the bark on the lower portion of the trunk or exposed roots of trees. The eggs hatch into larvae, large worm-like grubs that feed on wood within the tree. Larvae grow more than 2-inches long and ½-inch wide and then emerge as adult beetles.
Despite its name, citrus long-horned beetles attack a wide range of living hardwood trees and a few conifers. They are fond of maple, alder and poplar trees. They kill trees, gradually, by boring large holes throughout the heartwood of the tree during the insect's larval stage.
Since the New York and Chicago Asian long-horned beetle infestations were linked to wooden pallets and other wood packing materials, USDA requires those materials to be treated before entering the U.S. Several species of long-horned beetles have been found in nursery stock from Asia.
Asian long-horned beetle is one of the potentially harmful insects monitored by the Washington State Department of Agriculture, which has primary responsibility for protecting people, agriculture and the environment from exotic and invasive pests.
To date, only two adult Asian long-horned beetles have been found in Washington. One was found in 1997 on pallets at a business near Marysville. The other was discovered in 1998 at a utility in Bellingham. In each case, only one live beetle was found. Follow-up surveys found no additional beetles, so there is little chance that they could have established populations in the state.
