Vermont Forest Pest First Detector Program Forests, Parks & Recreation Agriculture, Food & Markets Presented by: Rhonda Mace USDA-APHIS

Vermont Forest Pest First Detector Program ALB attacks and kills a wide range of native hardwood trees, including maple, elm, birch and ash. Infestation can go a years without being detected Insecticides aren’t an economically feasible option for a wide scale infestation 50% of VT forests are host trees

**Chicago, Illinois and Hudson County, New Jersey and Islip, NY has since declared successful eradication of ALB. Map adapted from Jim Esden, VT Forests, Parks, and Recreation 2010 LEAP Workshop Massachusetts Detected in Boston area in 2010

ALB often attacks the tops of trees first. ALB has no known natural enemies in the USA or Canada. Detection is based only upon visual surveys of trees. Humans can easily aid in the spread of this pest by moving infested wood, especially firewood. Attacks upwards of 24 species of trees

1. Males and females travel infrequently, they use physical contact and pheromones to find mates. 2. Lay eggs in shallow dug-out areas of the bark (oviposition sites) from mid-July-August. 3. Eggs hatch in days.

1 st and 2 nd instar larvae feed on the cambium layer. 3 rd, 4 th and 5 th instars feed on and tunnel through the sapwood and heartwood. Larval and pupal stages over- winter in the tree.

5 th instar develops into a pupa. Pupal stage is approximately 2-3 weeks. After pupation, the insect emerges as an adult.

Emerge summer to mid Fall. Exit holes- nearly same diameter as a dime and round. Beetle is 1 to 1 ½ inches long. Irregularly shaped white spots on elytra Life span ≥ 2 months.

Lay between 60 to 160 eggs. Adult beetles have 1 generation per year.

Maple including boxelder** Elm* Horsechestnut, buckeyes* Birch* Willow* Katsura tree Silk tree Ash London plane Poplar European mountain ash Hackberry **,*=preferred host

Shiny, black body Irregular, white, or yellowish splotches Black and white, banded antennae 1 1/2 Body length is 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches

Whitespotted Sawyer Beetle Native to northeastern US Host trees are coniferous Key differentiating features: White spot between the wing covers of the sawyer. WSS is a bronzy, dull black, while the Asian longhorned beetle is true black and shiny

Northeastern Sawyer Beetle Native to northeastern US Host trees are coniferous Key differentiating features: Brown dappled wing covers with dark and light spotting Faint white spot at top of wing covers

You have now completed Module 3C. Please return to the First Detector Resource webpage at and complete the Module 3C Quiz. Rhonda Mace USDA-APHIS-PPQ