Emerald Ash Borer

The emerald ash borer, also known by the abbreviation EAB, is a green buprestid or jewel beetle native to north-eastern Asia that feeds on ash species. Females lay eggs in bark crevices on ash trees, and larvae feed underneath the bark of ash trees to emerge as adults in one to two years. In its native range, it is typically found at low densities and does not cause significant damage to trees native to the area. Outside its native range, it is an invasive species and is highly destructive to ash trees native to Europe and North America. Before it was found in North America, very little was known about the emerald ash borer in its native range; this has resulted in much of the research on its biology being focused in North America. Local governments in North America are attempting to control it by monitoring its spread, diversifying tree species, and through the use of insecticides and biological control. Scientific Name: Agrilus planipennis Range: Native to E. Asia; invasive across N. America since 2002 Size: 8.5–14 mm Status: Invasive ID Notes: Brilliant metallic emerald green, slender bullet-shaped body. Bronze-copper upper abdomen visible when wings spread. Behavior / Notes: Larvae bore winding S-shaped galleries beneath ash bark, killing trees. Has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees in North America since detection in Michigan in 2002.