Stop Invasive Species

Asian Longhorned Beetle

We’re being invaded!

That’s no surprise, though, really. Just like other parts of the world, the United States is being invaded all the time by plants and animals that come from somewhere else. Sometimes they’re brought here intentionally, as food or pets or for some other purpose. Other times, they hitch a ride by accident in the hull of a ship or the bed of a truck.

When these outsiders start to take over the habitat of native plants and animals, they’re known as “invasive species.” (Sometimes they're also called by the less negative-sounding "introduced species." After all, it's not the species' fault. They're just trying to survive in a new environment!)

Some of the most famous examples of harmful invasive species include kudzu vines in the South, Africanized honeybees (so-called “killer bees”) in the Southwest, snakehead fish here in the East, and the Asian tiger mosquito, a carrier of the deadly West Nile Virus.

One of the most recent and troubling invaders to the New York/New Jersey area is the Asian longhorned beetle. A native of China and Korea, it was first found infesting trees in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn in August 1996. Scientists believe that it arrived in the United States several years earlier – probably in wooden pallets that were shipped to New York from China for a sewer project in the late 1980s.

A tree-killing infestation

The beetle spread out to points in New York and New Jersey – including Jersey City, home to Liberty Science Center – and has been found infesting trees in Chicago and Ontario, Canada. (It has also nearly gotten into the United States through several other ports and warehouses, but has been discovered before reaching the environment.) Many trees have been quarantined and even killed to try to stop the beetle from spreading any farther. More than 6,000 infested trees had to be chopped down and burned in New York, and several thousand more have been removed in New Jersey so far.

What’s so harmful about this particular beetle, and why are scientists and tree lovers working so hard to stop it? Because the Asian longhorned beetle is a tree killer. It favors maple trees, but will also attack the elm, horsechestnut, ash, birch, poplar, willow and many more. Chances are, if there’s a hardwood tree in your yard or on your street, the Asian longhorned beetle would like to infest it.

What do they do? The beetles lay their young – or larvae – in the bark of the trees. The larvae are great tunnelers, and as they work their way deep into the trunk and branches, their tunnels disrupt the flow of sap through the tree. Tree sap is like blood for a human; it needs to travel throughout the tree’s body to deliver nutrients, the same way that blood travels through your veins to deliver oxygen. Just as humans can't survive without blood flowing, trees die if their sap cannot circulate properly.

No predators; no worries

Because the beetles are from Asia, they have no natural predators in the United States. That means they’re free to burrow and destroy native trees without the risk of being eaten themselves. Scientists worry that if the beetles are able to spread far enough, they could wipe out entire forests and cause more than $600 billion in damages – worse even than Hurricane Katrina when it hit the Gulf Coast in 2005.

The good news is, because it’s a relatively new invader, the Asian longhorned beetle can still be stopped! The government has set up quarantine zones around infested areas and is cutting down and burning trees where the beetle has made itself at home. Scientists are trying to find insecticides that will safely kill the beetles without harming their host trees or other parts of the environment. And surveyors go out and look at trees near infested areas to see if the beetle has spread.

What can you do? Use this helpful guide to check trees in your neighborhood for signs of the longhorned beetle. If you spot any, report them to the appropriate authorities (see below).

How to Spot the Asian Longhorned Beetle

Pick a sunny day. The Asian longhorned beetle, and the damage it causes, are hard to see in the rain or on a cloudy day. Adult longhorned beetles are usually active and can be spotted from June to December (although you can see the damage they cause at any time of year).
Pick a hardwood tree and circle it, standing about 5 feet from the trunk. Scan the lower branches and the trunk for signs of damage. Exit holes made by the longhorned beetle are about 3/8 inch in diameter or larger. They resemble a perfectly drilled hole. (See identification tips.)
Stand in one convenient spot and slowly scan the trunk and branches for damage, all the way to the top. Use binoculars if you have them.
Move one quarter of the way around the tree and repeat Step 3.
Repeat Step 4 until the whole tree is surveyed.
If you see an Asian longhorned beetle, catch it in a jar and put it in the freezer until a state official can inspect it. (Freezing preserves the specimen.) If you see what looks like beetle damage, note the street location and the spot where the damage occurs on the tree. Then call your state contact and report it.

In New Jersey:

Call the Asian longhorned beetle hotline at 1.866.BEETLE1

In New York:

Call the Department of Agriculture & Markets at 1.800.554.4501, Ext. 72087

Click here for contacts in other states.

Statistics

Asian longhorned beetle first detected in New Jersey: October 2002
Initial infestation area: 1.5 square mile quarantine, including parts of Jersey City and Hoboken
Other communities with known infestations: Carteret, Linden, Rahway and Woodbridge
Current quarantine area: 25 square miles (also includes parts of Elizabeth, Clark and Roselle)
Trees planted in New Jersey to replace those quarantined or destroyed: 4,968
Warehouses quarantined in New Jersey because crates from China were infested: Six (located in Camden, Cream Ridge, Linden, Mahwah, New Brunswick and Secaucus)
Trees in danger: Maple trees (the beetle’s favorite) make up 30 percent of New Jersey’s tree stock; the New Jersey Forest Service say nearly half the street trees in the state could be lost to infestation

For more information on the Asian Longhorned Beetle Awareness Project in New Jersey, or if you would like to receive information packages, please contact:

New Jersey Forest Service
501 East State Street
PO Box 404
Trenton, NJ 08625
Phone: 609.292.2532
E-mail: bwidener.njfscf(at)gmail.com

More resources

National Invasive Species Information Center

Beetle Busters

N.J. Department of Environmental Protection

New York City Department of Parks and Recreation

Columbia University's Introduced Species Summary Project

The Nature Conservancy: Global Invasive Species Initiative

Our programs

Liberty Science Center has developed exciting, hands-on programs that teach students about invasive species and help them identify threats to their neighborhoods. Here’s some of what we offer:

Don't Bug Me!: The Asian Longhorned Beetle
Pest species like the Asian longhorned beetle are invading our ecosystems and threatening our trees. Protecting ourselves requires teamwork, and your students can help! Follow scent trails like insects, and practice the identification techniques used by entomologists. Can you pick out vandal species from a line-up of look-alikes and save your neighborhood?
Program Type: Traveling Science: Classroom Workshop
Grade Level: 4-7
NJCCCS: 3.4 A, 5.1 A, 5.1 B, 5.1 C, 5.5 B, 5.10 A, 5.10 B

It Came from Another Ecosystem!: Alien Invaders
They may not have come from another planet, but alien invaders can be found almost everywhere – even in your own backyard! Learn about damaging invasive species, their impact, and how to stop them from spreading.
Program Type: Traveling Science: Classroom Workshop
Grade Level: 3-8
NJCCCS: 3.4 A; 5.1 A, B; 5.5 A, B; 5.10 A

Learn more about our educational offerings and find out how to book programs.

Liberty Science Center's Asian Longhorned Beetle Awareness Program was funded through a partnership grant with the United States Department of Agriculture.