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Harvard Forest Symposium Abstract 2011

  • Title: Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) behavior in Southern New England Forests
  • Primary Author: David Orwig (Harvard Forest)
  • Additional Authors: Kevin Dodds (USDA Forest Service)
  • Abstract:

    Asian longhorned beetle (ALB), Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky, has become established several times since 1996 in North American urban forests. A recent infestation was detected in Worcester, Massachusetts and led to a massive search for ALB in over 600,000 trees and eradication of over 28,000 infested and uninfested host trees to date within a 243 km2 quarantine zone. Two closed canopied forested stands (Bovenzi, Delaval) infested with ALB within this zone were extensively sampled prior to tree removal during 2008-2010 to document stand conditions, assess ALB host preference, and determine ALB impact on tree growth. ALB was only found in Acer species, although other potential host species were available, including Betula lenta L., Fraxinus americana L., and Ulmus sp. Thirty-two percent of Acer were infested with ALB in Bovenzi, while 63% were infested in Delaval. ALB was found more frequently in trees of the dominant or codominant canopy classes compared to overtopped trees. In Delaval where three maple species were available for ALB, the insect was found more often in Acer rubrum L. than A. sacharum Marsh. or A. platanoides L.

    Results suggest that if infestations are not contained immediately, ALB can migrate into and become a serious pest of natural forest systems, leading to dramatic short and long-term impacts.

  • Research Category: Invasive Plants, Pests & Pathogens