Identification and life cycle

First discovered in MI 2002, but thought to be established since ~1997
Adults slender, elongate (~1/2”), bright golden metallic green
Larvae up to 1-1/4”, cream colored, flattened
Larvae feed beneath bark on phloem and sapwood
Look for unusual woodpecker activity, adult beetles late May-July D-shaped exit holes (3/8”) in trunk and large branches, vertical splits (up to 4”) in bark above larval galleries (difficult to see) serpentine larval galleries beneath bark

Impacts

branch dieback, thinned canopy, tree mortality. Widely distributed hosts, including green ash, white ash, black ash. Potential devestating in urban settings and could result in loss of forest type

Status

A. planipennis has not been recorded in Kentucky. However, this is a highly mobile insect. Infestations have been found in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Ontario

Action

Quarantine, eradication

Links

Threats to Forest Health: The Exotic Emerald Ash Borer by Dr. Lynne Rieske-Kinney of UK Department of Entomology in Kentucky Woodlands Magazine (July 2006)

Emerald Ash Borer Marching South Toward Kentucky UK College of Agriculture News and Information, December 2006

UK Extension Entomology Emerald Ash Borer Page

Emerald Ash Borer website
"This Web site is part of a multistate effort in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana to bring you the latest information about emerald ash borer." (from site)