The emerald ash borer is an exotic beetle, one-half-inch long and metallic green in color, which was found near Detroit in the summer of 2002. It has since spread to southern Ontario, northern Indiana and northern Illinois.
It probably arrived in the United States on wood packing material carried in cargo ships or airplanes originating in Asia.
The larvae feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients. It does not attack any other species of tree.
The adult beetle feeds on foliage but does little damage.
Today, borer infestations have been detected in 10 states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, together with isolated infestations in Missouri, Wisconsin, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Agriculture
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