Winter 2006 Vol. 15, No. 1
EMERALD ASH BORER NOW DISCOVERED
IN FOUR INDIANA COUNTIES!
Jodie A. Ellis, Exotic Insects Education Coordinator, Department of Entomology, Purdue University
Emerald ash borer (EAB), an invasive wood-boring beetle from
Asia, was found in 2 new counties in Indiana in fall
2005, bringing the number of quarantined townships in
the state to 9 after Root and Washington Townships in
Adams County and White River Township in Randolph
County were added. Additional sites were also discovered in LaGrange
and Steuben counties where EAB was found in 2004. It is estimated that
the new EAB populations in Adams and LaGrange counties got their
start 3-5 years ago and are not the result of the beetle's natural
spread. These new infestations are consequences of
artificial movement of the insect, most likely in
firewood, logs for milling, or nursery stock. Emerald
ash borers belong to a group of metallic wood boring beetles
commonly found on woody plants throughout the world. Larvae of
this group are flattened and worm like, and feed beneath bark. First
identified in the Detroit/Windsor area in June 2002,
EAB has been detected throughout Michigan's Lower
Peninsula, in western and northern Ohio, and in
northeast Indiana (see www.emeraldashborer.
info). In its native
Asia, EAB attacks and kills ash trees that are already weakened by disease, environmental stress, or mechanical damage. However, in North America, EAB attacks and kills healthy trees as well. This devastation is possible because, unlike Asian ash trees, our native trees have no built-in resistance to EAB. To make
matters even worse, many of the predators, parasites, and diseases that keep EAB populations low in Asia are not present in North America. Indiana is currently participating in an EAB eradication program with US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). In addition to placing quarantines on townships where the insect is detected, all ash trees within 1/2 mile of a known infested ash tree will be eliminated to remove the beetle's food source. For more information on EAB or Indiana's policies on EAB, please contact Jodie Ellis, Exotic Insects Education Coordinator for Purdue Entomology (765-494-0822 or at ellisj@purdue.edu) or call the Indiana DNR's toll-free hot line, 1-866-NO EXOTIC