Overview
Anoplophora glabripennis, or Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB), is a wood boring beetle from China that was first detected in New York State in 1996. This pest bores holes into the heartwood of living trees, weakening them and eventually killing them. ALB prefers 13 different genus of hardwood trees, especially maples.
ALB is currently in parts of three states - New York, Massachusetts, and Ohio. It has been eradicated from multiple locations, and program staff in each of these states are currently surveying trees to locate and remove any known infestations.
Agricultural Impact
The loss of many landscape and urban forest trees, along with the ecological services that these trees provide, would be a devastating loss to New York State's forestry sector and hardwood timber industry. Additionally, New York State's maple industry, which produced 800,000 gallons of maple syrup in 2019, is at risk from ALB.
Our Work
Since ALB was first detected in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, teams of survey crews have been scouting out infestations. Trees found to be infested are removed and destroyed, while healthy trees are sometimes treated to prevent infestations from expanding.
These efforts are bolstered by outreach campaigns and regulatory compliance. The public and any entities working on or moving any trees or tree parts must be trained on ALB and agree to meet specific standards for disposal that will prevent ALB from spreading by human assistance.
These diligent efforts have paid off with the release of previously quarantined areas within four different counties and an area in the town of Islip in New York. These areas have been declared eradicated.
Quarantine
There are New York State and federal quarantines in place to prohibit the movement of ALB and any regulated article from out of the quarantine areas. Regulated articles include any host wood, infested or not, that could harbor ALB in any of its life stages. Wood that is not infested can be moved under permit or compliance agreement with New York State to an approved disposal site. These quarantines are designed to prevent the human assisted movement of ALB.
There is one remaining active quarantine area in New York, located in Central Long Island and this includes portions of both Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
Regulations
Take Action
The public can help eradicate ALB by reporting it if you suspect you have seen it. Photos are always very helpful when trying to identify this pest. Adult ALB have a shiny, jet black body with distinctive white spots. They are approximately 1 to 1½ inches in length, with very long black and white banded antennae.
To report any sightings please call 866-265-0301.