Potential Effect of Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) on Urban Trees in the United States

Abstract

Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky, a wood borer native to Asia, was recently found in New York City and Chicago. In an attempt to eradicate these beetle populations, thousands of infested city trees have been removed. Field data from nine U.S. cities and national tree cover data were used to estimate the potential effects of A. glabripennis on urban resources through time. For the cities analyzed, the potential tree resources at risk to A. glabripennis attack based on host preferences, ranges from 12 to 61% of the city tree population, with an estimated value of $72 million-$2.3 billion per city. The corresponding canopy cover loss that would occur if all preferred host trees were killed ranges from 13-68%. The estimated maximum potential national urban impact of A. glabripennis is a loss of 34.9% of total canopy cover, 30.3% tree mortality (1.2 billion trees) and value loss of $669 billion.