citrus longhorn beetle
(Anoplophora chinensis)
A borer, native to south-east Asia, that can infest a wide range of broadleaf trees and shrubs. It is almost identical to the closely related Asian longhorn beetle. The beetle spends most of its life (up to two or three years) as a larva inside the wood of a root or main stem near ground level. Infested trees are weakened by the larvae and may be killed. The beetle in an alien invasive species in North America and mainland Europe. It was detected in northern Italy in 2000, where it is now established, then in France in 2003 and the Netherlands in 2007. In the UK the beetles have been intercepted many times since 2005, mainly on imports of Japanese maple, but has not become established.
This definition is abridged from A – Z of tree terms: A companion to British arboriculture.
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