The Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) with their distinct white and black coloring are natives of China, but these hardwood tree killers have been around New York since 1996.
They travel to North America via wood crating or packaging materials. Once on our shores, the adults fly off to the local tree tops where their young bore into the conductive tissues of hardwood trees, in many cases fatally injuring them. The Secretary of Agriculture has declared the beetle infestation "an extraordinary emergency" starting a spray and control plan. It may be a case of too little, too late and only time will tell.
Old NID
53413
