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A new tiny but devastating invasive Asian beetle was identified this week in Santa Cruz County.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture has identified the new non-native invasive beetle as Euwallacea interjectus. It is not the same beetle found in the area a few months ago that has also been attacking avocado trees in Southern California.
“The other beetles that are present in the San Jose Coyote Creek area are one of two species that has been in California since about 2012,” said Brian Woodward from University of California Cooperative Extension Santa Cruz County.
“The new infestation in Santa Cruz County is the first time that we’ve ever found this species here. It is also from south Asia, but it’s much larger, and we know much less about it. We don’t know what trees it might attack,” Woodward said.
The new beetle was found along Zayante Creek south of Graham Hill Road in the Felton area in October, but it was positively identified this week. The infestation has primarily impacted box elder trees, but California sycamore, coast live oak, arroyo willow, red willow, and black cottonwood have also been attacked.
It is the first place in California the beetle has been found, although it is common in Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Florida, where it was responsible for a mass attack of box elder trees.
The trees essentially starve to death. The beetles tunnel into the wood and introduce a fungus that they farm as food for themselves and their larvae. The fungus causes a disease that disrupts the flow of water and nutrients to the trees. In their own self-defense, the trees try to compartmentalize the fungus. Too much compartmentalization, with the spread of more beetles, results in the loss of vital nutrients and water. Upper branches die first.
How did the Euwallacea interjectus find its way into the middle of a Santa Cruz County forest?
“It doesn’t travel in dead wood. It got here through live wood that was transported,” said Woodward. “It is in a fairly large area around the Felton community and it is in a wildland area. The other two species have been in urban areas, urban parks. This is in a native riparian system, and it’s confirmed across at least 75 acres.”
UC Cooperative Extension is leading a multi-agency response. They are recommending that forest and landscape managers follow the same sanitation guidelines that are outlined for the other species. Before moving wood, inspect trees for the signs and symptoms. Look for perfectly round holes the size of the tip of a pen. Trees may also have dark wet staining or sugar-like buildup.
“The number one thing folks can do to defend Santa Cruz County and California is to not move an infested tree,” said Woodward. More aggressive tactics include chipping a tree to 1-inch pieces and letting it compost or bake in the sun.
More information and help with management can be found at the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources agency.
To report suspected damage, call the Santa Cruz County Department of Agriculture at (831) 763-8080. For help with management, people can contact their local Cooperative Extension Forest Advisor.
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