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Alien
invasions!
No,
it's not creatures from another planet, just plants and
animals that come from another continent. They are known
as invasive species, and you can find out more information
about them from some of our previous watershed radio spots:
Hitchhikers and
Japanese Worms.
Today, we are going to learn about another alien invader,
one that is destroying trees, including our much beloved
sugar maples.
The
Asian long-horned beetle (ALB, or ALHB), Anoplophora
glabripennis, originally came from China. Scientists
believe that the beetle's larvae were shipped to the US
in wooden packing crates in which the animals were hiding.
The beetle was first discovered in Brooklyn, NY in 1996.
A resident had noticed what looked like drill holes in
some of the trees, and thought that local kids were playing
a prank. But after finding quite a few of them, he called
the local parks and recreation department who diagnosed
the problem: It was the work of an alien invader! The
culprit was a large black beetle with white spots, and
scientists quickly identified it as the Asian long-horned
beetle. Because of its unusual coloring, the animal is
also known as the starry sky beetle.
What
the Brooklyn resident had seen was the work of the beetle's
larvae. These larvae spend most of their lives inside
trees, creating holes by eating voraciously and ultimately
destroying the tree in the process. When the scientists
in New York identified the beetle, the animal was already
well on its way to killing many of the local trees. And
it was also on its way across the country. From Brooklyn,
it made its way to Amityville, NY in a pile of infested
logs that had been cut from diseased trees. The US Department
of Agriculture stepped in and thought they had it beat
after quarantining the area. Unbeknownst to them, another
city had already been hit: Chicago! Scientists believe
the Chicago infestation was from a separate invasion from
a different seaport.
Because
alien invasions like this can cause such damage, authorities
try to keep them from spreading. Because the Asian long-horned
beetle has no natural enemy, the only way it can be halted
is by cutting down and destroying the tree in which it
is living. Authorities also try to stop the spreading
of the beetle by educating the public about the problem.
The Illinois
Department of Agriculture
has issued bulletins that describe the beetles and what
to look for in the trees. The Forest Service has videos
and an excellent PowerPoint
presentation.
The Ohio
Department of Natural Resources
(DNR) has put out flyers, produced presentations, and
filmed videos (check out their flash animation!), and
many universities and cooperative extension services have
information websites. Their goal is make the public aware
of what the beetle looks like, what to do if you find
a beetle, and how to keep the beetle from spreading. If
we all can stay on top of these issues, perhaps we'll
be able to save our trees.
References
and further reading
For
a really good explanation of the beetle and how it was
discovered, visit the biobulletin site: - A
beetle stowaway
To
learn more about research on Invasive species, visit the
SERC invasive
species website,
or visit the government's
invasive species website.
For
more links about the Asian Long-horned beetle, see these
sites:
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