The adult Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) is shiny black with white spots. The antennae are long and have alternating bands of black and white. The antennae are usually 1 to 2 times greater than the length of the body. The upper sections of the legs are whitish to blue.
The larvae are yellowish white, wormlike, cylindrical, and fleshy, with a varied texture on the underside.
The pupae are off-white to light brown and appear like an immature version of the adult with legs and antennae compressed against the body.
Similar species: The ALB should not be confused with the cottonwood borer, a native longhorned beetle. The adult cottonwood borer has a more even mix of black and white patterns on its body and has solid black antennae.
If you think you have found this insect in Missouri, please report it to MDC as soon as possible.
Habitat and Conservation
Native to Asia, the Asian longhorned beetle was most likely transported to the United States in solid wood packing material like pallets and crates. Currently, ALB infestations are being eradicated in Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, and South Carolina.
Infestations in the United States are generally the result of the beetle’s larvae hitching a ride in wood packaging material used to secure heavy freight during shipping from Asia. With the amount of freight coming from overseas and the speed at which it gets here, pest introductions like this are very real threats to Missouri’s trees and forests.
Left undetected, the ALB will girdle the vascular system of trees, causing them to wither and die. It is vital that we keep the ALB out of Missouri.
Food
Adult beetles eat leaves and twigs, while young larvae tunnel beneath the bark and feed on phloem (the inner bark) of the branches and trunk. As they grow, the larvae tunnel deeper into the tree through the sapwood.
In the United States, this insect's preferred trees include maple species (such as boxelder, Norway, red, silver and sugar maples), as well as horsechestnut, buckeyes, black locust, elms, birches, willows, poplars, sycamore, and ashes.
Status
Invasive species not presently in Missouri. Left undetected, the tunneling of this insect will cause trees to wither and die.
If you think you have found this insect in Missouri, please report it to MDC as soon as possible.