Asian longhorned beetle

Page last updated: Friday, 14 July 2017 - 10:23am

Please note: This content may be out of date and is currently under review.

Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) is a wood-boring pest that usually targets deciduous hardwood trees such as elm, willow, poplar, maple and a variety of fruit trees. They attack both healthy trees and stressed or diseased trees.

An outbreak of Asian longhorned beetle could potentially devastate Australia’s apple and pear orchards and destroy forests and native bush.

Healthy trees can become quickly overcome by the beetle’s attack. The feeding larvae will eventually kill its host. It can also cause serious damage to parkland trees and timber structures in houses.

July 2016 detection

In July 2016 one female Asian longhorned beetle was found in an industrial warehouse in Perth.

The Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (now Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development) undertook surveillance and there were no further detections.

It is likely that the beetle was a single hitchhiker in imported cargo, however it is not known where the beetle originated.

Alert for industrial areas

DAFWA is asking industrial warehouses in receipt of imported cargo to keep a lookout for suspect beetles. Refer to these web pages to know how to recognise Asian longhorned beetle.

This beetle is most likely to arrive in imported timber and wood used for pallets and other packing materials from Asia or North America.

Report Asian longhorned beetle

If you suspect this pest call DAFWA’s Pest and Disease Information Service on 1800 084 881 or go to the mypestguide web page to download the free mypestguide reporter app, or make an online report.

By joining the MyPestGuide reporting community you can report any suspect pests at any time. Use the app to send an image to DAFWA for identification and experts will respond directly to your phone.

Description

  • An adult beetle is about 20-35mm long and 7-12mm wide.
  • Its body is jet black in colour with white spots.
  • The antennae are black with whitish-blue rings and can be up to two and a half times the body length.
  • Eggs are about 5-7mm long, off-white in colour, rectangular in shape and are laid under bark.
  • The larvae look like grubs and can grow up to 50mm long.

Contact information

Pest and Disease Information Service (PaDIS)
+61 (0)8 9368 3080