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Status of ash (Fraxinus spp.) species in Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, 2013

Informally Refereed

Abstract

The emerald ash borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis) is an introduced Asian beetle species that was first detected in trees in the Fraxinus (ash) genus in the United States in 2002. Female EAB beetles lay between 40 to 70 eggs in cracks, crevices, and beneath bark flakes. The eggs hatch within about 2 weeks, larvae bore through the outer bark, and begin eating the inner cambium of the wood. As larvae carve galleries through the cambium, they effectively disrupt the ability of the tree to transport water and nutrients. The larvae eventually girdle the tree, resulting in canopy decline and death of tree branches and, ultimately, tree mortality.

Citation

Oswalt, S.N. 2015. Status of ash (Fraxinus spp.) species in Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, 2013. e-Science Update SRS-108. U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 5 p.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/47308