An outbreak of Asian longhorn beetle – the first in the UK – has been reported in Paddock Wood, Kent.
The Forestry Commission and the government released a joint statement saying the find could have “severe consequences” for British trees. It is thought the beetles originated from wood packaging used to import stone from China at an adjacent industrial site.
A wide range of hardwoods are at risk from the beetle, including maple, sycamore, elm, horse chestnut, willow, poplar, birch and some fruit trees.
The Forestry Commission and the Food & Environment Research Agency (FERA) said the outbreak was being treated extremely seriously and urgent steps were being taken to try and eradicate the threat before it had the chance to spread.
Several beetle lavae were found inside a poplar tree during a routine survey by Forestry Commission scientists. They had been monitoring the area since 2009 when a single adult beetle was discovered, but the new finding is the first evidence of tree infestation.
Analysis of climate data by FERA scientists suggests most of England and Wales and some warmer coastal areas of Scotland are suitable for Asian longhorn beetle establishment, but south-east England and the south coast are at the greatest risk.
Beetle infestation normally kills trees slowly, taking 3-5 years.
“Eradication measures to treat outbreaks in the US and Italy have resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of mature trees,” said Dr John Morgan, head of the Forestry Commission’s Plant Health Service.
A study by Columbia University, New York, concluded that the beetle had the potential to cause more damage than Dutch elm disease, chestnut blight, and gypsy moths combined, destroying millions of acres of America’s treasured hardwoods, causing US$41bn in losses, with the potential to alter North American ecosystems.
For more information on the beetle click here.
