Asian longhorned beetle infestations trigger tree removal in Italy

The Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora chinensis, is causing significant damage to trees in several Italian regions, prompting urgent phytosanitary interventions.

In Buccinasco, Lombardy, technicians from the Regional Phytosanitary Service identified infestations in cherry and maple trees. To comply with European and regional regulations, authorities must fell the infested trees and those of sensitive species in the immediate vicinity. The larvae of the beetle cause the most damage by tunneling through the wood and root systems, compromising the structural stability of the trees and making them susceptible to fungi and other pathogens.

In the Vicenza area of Veneto, specifically in Villaverla, the regional government has approved a 265,925 euro collaboration with the University of Padua. This two-year research and containment plan aims to precisely map the movement of the parasite to facilitate rapid eradication. Current measures include establishing a 100-meter infested zone and a two-kilometer buffer zone, involving the destruction of affected and high-risk plants. The beetle is classified by the European Union as a priority quarantine organism due to its ability to attack various broadleaf trees, including maples, horse chestnuts, and birches.