Progress on biological control of emerald ash borer

The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, a buprestid native to northeastern Asia, was determined as the cause of ash tree (Fraxinus spp.) mortality in areas of southern Michigan and Ontario, Canada, in 2002. Infestations have been found since in Ohio, Indiana, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Regulatory agencies have shifted from a tactic of eradication to one of management for this pest in North America. This change resulted in part from increasingly large infestations and limited capability to detect and control EAB. Classical biological control, the introduction and establishment of exotic natural enemies for sustained control of an invasive species, is being considered for management of EAB.