Asian Long-horned Beetle
Scientific Name: Anoplophora glabripennis
Order: Coleoptera
Asian long-horned beetles are an invasive species that are harmful to your garden!
How to identify:
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Large and shiny black beetle with up to 20 white dots on its back.
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Long segmented antennae.
Asian long-horned beetle invasion:
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Native to China and other parts of Asia.
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Most likely made it to Canada through imports from its native countries
Why asian long-horned beetles are harmful:
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Females chew pits in the bark of trees where they lay their eggs.
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Their larvae feed from the inner bark, which creates tunnels in the tree that weaken it structrually.
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This eventually cuts off nutrient and water transport to the tree, which leads to tree death.
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Host trees include maples, birches, poplars and willows.
How to get rid of asian long-horned beetles in your garden:
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Unfortunately, there are no insecticides strong enough to eradicate the Asian long-horned beetle.
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If you have an infested tree, cut it down along with nearby trees that may be infested as well.
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Burn the fallen trees in order to kill any larvae or adults that may remain.
How this relates to conservation:
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Invasive species are harmful since they do not have natural predators in our habitat. Therefore, there are few factors limiting their population growth and they can easily take over. This is why it is important to identify and kill asian long-horned beetles, which destory trees in eastern Ontario. These insects could result in billions of dollars of damage for the natural resource industries in Canada and leaf to economic instability.
