Citrus longhorn beetle

Anoplophora chinensis

1. Identification

• Common name: Citrus longhorn beetle
• Scientific name: Anoplophora chinensis Forster
• Order: Coleoptera
• Family: Cerambycidae
• Phytosanitary status: quarantine pest in the European Union.

2. Pest description

• Adults: large beetles (21–37 mm); shiny black body with white markings; very long antennae with bluish rings.
• Larvae: legless, cream, with a cylindrical and robust body; excavate deep galleries in the trunk and roots.
• Pupae: form inside the larval galleries.
• Eggs: laid in incisions made by the females in the bark, generally at the base of the trunk.

3. Main hosts

• Citrus: orange, mandarin, lemon, lime, grapefruit.
• Other woody species: maple, birch, beech, plane tree, willow, chestnut, apple, pear, among many others.
• Highly polyphagous species, with more than 100 recorded hosts.

4. Symptoms and damage

• Oval perforations in the bark, associated with egg-laying.
• Exudation of sawdust at the base of the trunk and roots.
• Extensive galleries in the trunk and roots, interrupting sap flow.
• Progressive decline of the canopy, yellowing and leaf drop.
• Drying of branches and death of the tree in severe attacks.
• High economic impact on citrus and ornamental species.

5. Biological cycle

• Generally biennial cycle, which may vary between 1 and 3 years.
• Eggs laid in summer; larvae penetrate the wood rapidly.
• Prolonged larval development, with excavation of deep galleries.
• Pupation inside the wood.
• Adults emerge between May and October, with peaks in summer.
• Overwintering as a larva inside the wood.

6. Monitoring

• Observation of fresh sawdust at the base of the trunk.
• Identification of adult emergence holes.
• Visual inspection of ornamental trees and citrus in urban and agricultural areas.
• Pheromone traps still under development; detection based mainly on inspection.
• Mandatory monitoring in demarcated areas due to the quarantine status.

7. Management measures

• Cultural: mandatory removal and destruction of infested trees; elimination of suspect wood; avoiding transport of untreated woody material.
• Biological: research in progress on parasitoids and entomopathogens, still without operational application.
• Integrated protection: intensive monitoring; immediate intervention in detected foci; compliance with the official eradication measures and movement restrictions.

Bibliographic references

• EPPO Global Database – Anoplophora chinensis.
• CABI Invasive Species Compendium – Anoplophora chinensis.
• Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 – Protection against plant pests.
• Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 – List of quarantine pests.
• EU Implementing Decisions concerning Anoplophora chinensis.
• Hérard, F. et al. (2006). Biology and management of Anoplophora spp.
• Maspero, M. et al. (2007). Outbreaks of A. chinensis in Europe.