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Emerald Ash Borer — printable fact sheet
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Emerald Ash Borer
Agrilus planipennis
Agrilus planipennis is a slim, metallic green beetle about 8.5 mm long, and it is one of the most destructive insect invasions in North American history. In its native northeastern Asia it is a minor pest of stressed trees, because Asian ash species have coevolved defences again…
Did you know?
- Despite its tiny size, the Emerald Ash Borer is considered one of the most destructive forest pests ever introduced to North America.
- The D-shaped exit hole is diagnostic — most wood-boring beetles leave a round or oval hole, and the flat side comes from the beetle's flattened body. Because larvae live under bark, moving firewood is the single fastest way to spread the beetle hundreds of kilometres past its natural dispersal front, which is why quarantines target firewood rather than the insect. Biological control now relies on tiny parasitoid wasps imported from the beetle's Asian range that lay eggs in its eggs and larvae. A small proportion of North American ash trees appear to survive infestation, and breeding programmes are working from these "lingering ash" as the best long-term hope.
What I learned
Draw the emerald ash borer
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