This lethal beetle could be on its way to Indiana
Hoosiers encouraged to be on the lookout for the invasive Asian longhorned beetle
It's too early to panic. But if you see a black bug with white spots and bluish feet that is the size of your thumb, don't ignore it.
You could be looking at an Asian longhorned beetle. This invasive bug recently destroyed more than 20,000 trees in New York, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture.
And closer to home, the lethal beetle is killing trees in Chicago and Cincinnati.
Those invasions have placed the Hoosier state in the middle of what could a major problem if the bug breeds here, said Purdue University entomologist Clifford Sadof.
"The Asian longhorned beetle would be nothing short of a catastrophe for the city of Indianapolis," said Sadof.
The beetle is known for eating the bark and leaves of maple, birch, elm, willow, ash and poplar trees. Its larvae hollow out the inside of the trees.
Trees could topple over without warning, entire forests could be destroyed and in a worst-case scenario people could get hurt or killed, Sadof warned.
At least two sighting have been reported in Indiana. In the late 1990s, Asian longhorned beetles were found in warehouses in Indianapolis and Porter County, according to USDA reports.
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If those sighting had not been reported, the state could be fighting off an invasion today, Sadof said.
That's why the the Indiana Department of Natural Resources wants residents to check their trees for the beetle or signs of it.
If you find one of the beetles, catch it and freeze it or take a photograph, Sadof said. This will help experts at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources verify the sighting.
"It takes several for years for it (the species) to get rolling," Sadof said. "But once it gets rolling, it’s like a steamroller."
Asian longhorned beetles hitchhiked to the U.S. in wooden packing materials on cargo ships from China, according to the USDA. The first sighting occurred in 1996 in a Brooklyn, N.Y., neighborhood. Since then, the beetle has been discovered across the U.S., wreaking havoc on trees — especially maples.
One in 5 trees planted along a street in Indianapolis is a maple, said Bill Kincius, manager of urban forestry for the city.
He agrees that's its too soon to panic, but residents should be on the lookout.
Kincius pointed to the city's loss of ash trees as an example of how devastating a beetle invasion can be.
In the past five years, the emerald ash borer, another invasive species from Asia, has killed thousands of trees throughout Indiana and has the potential to wipe out another 10 percent of the city's tree population in the next two years, Kincius said.
More than 20 percent of the city's tree population would be at risk if the Asian longhorned beetle becomes a problem. For now, Kincius is also encouraging residents to be watchful.
What to look for
• A shiny black body about 1-1½ inches long with white spots.
• Long antennae with black and white bands.
• Six legs with bluish feet.
Signs of infestation
• Round exit holes, the size of a dime or smaller, in tree trunks and branches.
• Round or oval scars in the bark.
• Sawdust-like material on the ground near the tree or in branches.
• Dead branches or limbs falling from an otherwise healthy looking tree.
If you find an Asian longhorned beetle
Residents should call the Indiana Department of Natural Resources toll-free hotline, (866) 663-9684 or download the Purdue Tree Doctor app for mobile devices.
Call IndyStar reporter Cara Anthony at (317) 444-6049. Follow her on Twitter: @CaraRAnthony.