OK, so he doen't have huge fangs and he doesn't carry a plague that is going to kill you and your loved ones, but this Citrus Longhorn Beetle is a serious, serious threat if it encroaches properly in to the UK. So, here is the bad news - one was found in Leicestershire a week or so ago. Assume that the person who found it wasn't really looking for it and you can pretty much guess it is not the only one in England.
The Citrus Long-Horned Beetle (
Anoplophora chinensis to give it its Latin name)
is found in the Far East where it is considered a serious pest. Why? It can lay two hundred eggs after doing the Discovery Channel thing and each one is deposited separately in to the bark of a tree. Once hatched it chews in to the tree and makes itself a tunnel in which to pupate. Once adult the cycle happens all over again.
The Long-horned beetle is posing a threat to the environment in the US like nothing before. Why? It attacks
healthy trees and has no enemies there. It has no regard for where it attacks, so your garden is just as likely a place as farmland - if it has trees in it. Oh - did we tell you? It has a cousin which, like the
smarties, comes in blue....
So, just one found in the UK? What's the panic? Let's put it in to perspective. If you do the math here, you will realise that the Beetle, if allowed to spread could do untold damage to the environment. No natural enemis means carte blanche to reproduce as much and as quickly as it can.
So, if you see one of the guys in your garden then call the Plant and Seed Health Inspectorate on 01904 465625.
