Emerald Ash BorerA new intruder has appeared in Quebec's entomological fauna. It is the emerald ash borer, a flying insect that attacks only this species of tree. It belongs to the same family as beetles. Its appearance is quite characteristic because its body has beautiful iridescent green reflections. But it's not harmless, though. No, it isn't.
The insect's larva is white in colour and digs galleries that meander through the trunks of trees. When fully mature, the adult emerald ash borer is almost half an inch long and feeds on the leaves of ash trees. EAB arrived in North America in 2002, coming to us from Asia after travelling in pallets or shipping crates made from this species of wood. It spreads across Canada by the same means, or by being camouflaged inside firewood being moved from one region to another. Its impacts on the ash treeEAB is an insect pest and is not known to be a natural predator throughout North America. For this reason, the EAB is extremely difficult to eradicate.
Attacks are often pernicious as they usually occur within a single year or take up to 5 years to complete. The prognosis is usually the death of the infested plant. |
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