Emerald Ash Boror study reveals hardy Larvae, far-flying adults.
East Lansing, Mi. The emerald ash boror (EAB), an exotic pest killing ash trees in southeastern MI, can fly farther than entomologist first thought, and its larvae are thriving this winter. EAB larvae could start flying in April and adults could hatch in early May to threaten millions of ash trees in the state.
In a recent study conducted in Lenawee County near Tipton, scientist from MSU and the U.S. forest Service worked with Volunteers from Michigan departments of agriculture and DNR, Ohio State University, Indiana department of Natural Resources and Purdue University to learn more about the biology of the EAB. They found it to be an "impressive flyer", and much more active than scientist realized.
Since its discovery in se Michigan in 2002, scientists have been scrambling to learn the biology of the Asian pest, previously unknown to North America and find ways to control it. An estimated 5 million ash trees in se MI have died or are likely to die this summer, and millions more may already be infested. The MDA has a quarantine on all ash wood products in McComb, Monroe, Oakland, Livingston, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties.
Nearly all of the larvae found in debarked trees were alive. They creat s-shaped galleries as they feed under the bark, then chew a pocket into the wood to overwinter. Scientist believe larvae will pupate in April and adult beetles will emerge by early May.
EAB has the potential to wipe out ash trees in much the same way that Dutch elm disease has killed American elms throughout the United States and Canada. The Larvae feed on the tree's phloem and outer sapwood, producing the S-shaped galleries, which look like roadways created by the pest. When the adult beetles chew their way out of the tree, they leave distinctive D-shaped exit holes on branches and trunks. Adult beetles are bright green and are about 3/8 to 5/8 inches long. The pest can kill all species of ash trees.
Homeowners in these areas are urged to check their ash trees for EAB and contact the MSU Diagnostics Labratory at (517) 355-4536 or the EAB Emerald Ash Boror hotline at (866) 325-0023 with questions or concerns.
