Asian Longhorned Beetle in Massachusetts

The Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis, "ALB"), a pest of hardwood trees including maple, birch and horse chestnut, was recently discovered in Worcester, Massachusetts. An astute resident of the Greendale section of Worcester reported the sighting, and it was confirmed by entomologists from USDA APHIS-PPQ earlier this week.

The Asian Longhorn Beetle is an invasive species native to China. It was first discovered in the U.S. in New York in 1996, and has also been found in Chicago and New Jersey. The beetles cause damage by tunneling within the trunks and branches of trees, disrupting the sap flow and weakening and eventually killing them.

This pest attacks a wide variety of hardwood trees, particularly maples, and is considered a serious threat to the nursery, lumber, wood products, maple syrup, and tourism industries in our state. If it became established over a large area, it could also significantly disrupt the forest ecosystem.

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, and the City of Worcester are partnering with the U.S. Forest Service and USDA APHIS-PPQ to coordinate a management plan to eradicate this species in Massachusetts. First steps include a survey of the area to determine the extent of the infestation, and regulatory management to prevent movement of host trees and wood out of the infested area. Infested trees will need to be removed and destroyed, and susceptible host trees may need treatment to prevent further infestations.

To learn more about the Asian longhorned beetle, see our fact sheet.

If you think you have seen this beetle, we encourage you to submit a report and photos, or you can call our Pest Hotline at 617-626-1779. Any specimens you capture should be placed in a container and frozen, and please do not disturb any infested trees or move any wood that you think could have been affected by this pest.

To sign up for pest alerts from the Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project, visit this page.

Pest Alert: Viburnum leaf beetle

Viburnum leaf beetle (Pyrrhalta viburni), a pest of Viburnum species including arrowwood and European cranberry bush, has been confirmed in three new counties in Massachusetts.

The Viburnum leaf beetle was first discovered in Massachusetts in 2004, in Berkshire County. In July 2008, new sightings of this introduced pest were reported in Bristol, Franklin, and Middlesex County, and were recently confirmed by Robert Childs, an entomologist at UMass Extension. Eradication efforts at these sites are currently underway.

For more information, read the full pest alert.

Update: Gladiolus Rust

The April Pest Alert for Gladiolus Rust (Uromyces transversalis) has been updated to reflect information about the recent discovery of this fungal pathogen on gladiolus plants in Minnesota (check out a map of the US distribution here, courtesy of the National Agricultural Pest Information System). Until this past April, the only US records for this species were in California and Florida. The Minnesota record represents the most northern US location where the rust fungus has been found, by far - more information will be posted when it become available.

Gladiolus rust remains a problem mainly for nurseries that grow gladiolus for sale as cut flowers. But if you grow gladiolus (or related tropical plants in the Iris family [Iridaceae], including Crocosmia, Tritonia and Watsonia species) or know someone who does, it is worth checking out the links at the bottom of the pest alert so you know what to look for in case you ever encounter this destructive pathogen.

Pest Alert: Gladiolus Rust

On March 10, 2008, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services identified a suspected infection of gladiolus rust (Uromyces transversalis) on the leaves of gladiolus plants at a cut flower production farm in Hendry County, Florida.

Gladiolus rust primarily attacks hybrid cultivars of gladiolus grown for cut flower production, and if uncontrolled, can lead to total yield losses. This disease could have a significant impact if it becomes established or is transported into greenhouses or nurseries that grow gladiolus or related species. It is a plant disease of quarantine importance in the United States and Europe.

Read more about gladiolus rust in the full pest alert.