Initial Asian Longhorn Beetle Infestations example essay topic

If you spot a glossy black beetle with long black-and-white antennae, catch it. It just might be an Asian Longhorn Beetle. A major hardwood pest, this beetle was first discovered in the United State in 1996, in Brooklyn, New York. Chicago suffered a serious infestation in the summer of 1998, and scientists are worried that we may be on the brink of a potential ecological disaster. After all the beetle has seemed to spread over the entire nation quite rapidly, now present here in Ontario.

While the insect will not infest homes or workplaces, and presents no threat to public health, the beetle does pose a significant threat to the environment. Asian Longhorn beetles spend the majority of their life as inch-long larvae, which eat the insides of a living tree until it weakens and dies. "It is also the most widespread and serious turf grass insect pest in the Northeast when it is a grub, and is also a major nuisance as an adult when it feeds on nearly 300 species of plants, including fruits, vegetables, ornaments, field and forge crops and weeds". Unfortunately the only fail safe method for dislodging the beetles and preventing further spread is to remove the tree and destroy it completely. The beetles are thought to have probably arrived in larvae form inside wooden packing crates from Far East imports. Scientists estimate that inspectors only catch between 2-20% of what comes in.

They are at hard at work on identification, control and eradication programs. The Asian Longhorn beetle is only one of the thousands of alien species which have been introduced to North America, sometimes having devastating consequences. The Asian Longhorn beetle is a large and quite spectacular insect. Native to Japan, Korea, the Malaysian Peninsula, and Southeastern China, its scientific name is Anoplophora Glabripenis. In China it's called the starry sky beetle because of the white markings on its black shiny body. The beetles body is 2.5-3.2 centimeters (1-1 1/4 inches) long, and it has black-and-white antennae that are longer than its body.

In Asia it's found on elms, poplars, willows and various fruit trees. It has become more of a pest since the late 1970's when the beetle infested enormous stands of poplar trees planted across China. The Asian Longhorn beetle primarily inhabits various kinds of hardwood trees, but what makes them more of a serious pest is that they do attack healthy, vigorous trees and not the dying trees that a large number of other species of beetles do. The Asian Longhorn beetle has no known natural enemies. Because it is an introduced species in Canada and the U. S, its native biological control agents remain unknown. Also it has been highly resistant to pesticides.

On the positive side, this beetle is not a very mobile species (adult beetles do not fly further than a mile, or 1.6 kilometers, from the tree in which they hatched), which would somewhat slow its spread. As of now there is no effective way to control infestations; infected trees have to be cut down, chipped and burned. "Almost one thousand infected trees in New York have been destroyed in the last two years". In the process of killing the trees the female beetle chews cavities into any place on the tree where the bark is smooth, depositing one egg in each of these "ovipositor" holes. Each beetle lays around 25-30 whitish eggs which are about 5-7 centimeters (1/4 inch) long. These hatch into larvae which bore into the inner bark of the tree, growing and moving deeper into the core.

It is the grubs, which are 2 1/2 centimeters long, that do the most damage to living trees. The holes disrupt the tubes through which water and nutrients circulate through the tree, eventually killing it. The larvae can mature in healthy or stressed trees, as well as in freshly cut firewood. "Following the pupa tion, adults chew their way out of the wood, leaving a large, round telltale hole". Adult beetles may begin to emerge as early as mid-May, but are most active between mid-June and October. After emerging, the adults feed on the bark of small twigs until it is time to mate.

The Asian Longhorn beetle usually breeds once a year to complete their life cycle. The adult female tends to lay eggs in already infested parts of the tree until that portion of the tree dies. Scientists have been working hard to devise a method to control these pests. Most people are aware of air and water pollution, but never have given the thought to biological pollution, of which introduced species are formed. "Alien Invasion is the least recognized threat to wildlife today...

People don't realize that alien plant and animal species are everywhere, growing in our forests and grasslands, swimming in our lakes and rivers, and driving out native species to the brink of extinction". It is only 15% of invasive species that cause enormous economic and ecological damage- and the Asian Longhorn beetle falls into this category. Environmental Agencies are preparing a nation wide strategy to rid of the pesky beetles before they cause extensive and irreparable damages. This effort has several parts, the first and most important of which is to learn more about the Asian Longhorn beetle. In order to evaluate the situation the beetles must be identified out of the many different species, and then studied. Surveys will be conducted in areas of known infestations for 5-10 years.

Federal quarantines will prevent materials such as firewood, logs and branches, from being removed from the infested areas. The fallen trees are to be replaced with species of trees that are known not to be hosts of the Asian Longhorn Beetle. The next step would be for pheromones to be created to control their reproduction. "Pheromones are chemicals manufactured by many animal species (including human) which alter the behavior, usually sexual behavior, of the other members of the same species".

Hopefully the addition of pheromones will disrupt their ability to seek mates. Pheromones are typically used as bait to attract male beetles to traps, but are only effective indicators in largely concentrated areas. But before a proper pheromone can be synthesized, the chemicals the beetles use to communicate must be analyzed. Also awareness is another key to control of these bugs. All ports are on high alert to prevent further contaminated imports. There was a law in 1988 that mandated fumigation of any crates, with bark on them, that were shipped into the country; however exporters often turn the bark to the inside to save additional costs or delays.

Government regulations require the exporters to treat their wood before it comes in, but naturally the exporters don't like this because it raises their costs- and as we all know economic concerns outweigh the environmental ones in today's society. Through investigation it is hopeful to find a biological control in which a natural enemy (typically form the invaders native region) is introduced to keep the pest under control. But the inherent risks are significant, and past efforts have caused major damage, especially when a deliberately introduced predator attacks species other than the intended prey. However the use of biological control agents that might influence the Asian Longhorn beetle population includes bacterial, parasitoids and predators such as birds (a parasitoid kills its prey in contrast to a parasite which utilizes the host without killing it). Unlike other inconspicuous exotic pests, the Asian Longhorn beetle is well suited as a target for involving the public in its detection. It is a large beetle with distinctive markings that leaves characteristic signs, which people can readily see and identify.

Most of the initial Asian Longhorn beetle infestations have been found by the public and not pest specialists. Through public awareness, monitoring, removal and disposal of infested trees and the eventual replanting of new trees, the Asian Longhorn beetle will hopefully become controlled and later eliminated from its foreign settings. Then it will no longer reek havoc on our existing ecosystems and preserved environment.