Un alieno minaccia i nostri alberi

[Autom. eng. transl.] Anoplophora chinensis Forster ("Citrus Longhorned Beetle" or Asian Tarlo, Col .: Cerambycidae), native to the Far East, was found for the first time in Italy in 2000 in Parabiago (Mi). An invasive quarantine species, it is capable of causing serious damage to tree and shrub deciduous trees commonly found in native areas and used as ornamental and decorative plants in our country. The larvae of A. chinensis, in fact, dig tunnels of considerable size in the trunk, compromising the stability of the plant and bringing it to death. Currently A. chinensis is present in several Lombard provinces and despite the ten years of monitoring and destruction of most of the symptomatic plants it has not yet reached eradication. The broad polyphagy of the cerambice favors its adaptation and makes eradication problematic, the only effective method of struggle at the moment is the removal of symptomatic trees and the destruction of infested materials. Following the containment work carried out between 2008 and 2009, the population of A. chinensis is currently reduced compared to a few years ago and this situation could be favorable for a new control plan based on biological control.