Plants > Plant Pests > Japanese Cedar Longhorned Beetle  

Callidiellum rufipenne (Motschulsky) - Japanese Cedar Longhorned Beetle

BACKGROUND

In its native range of northern Asia, Callidiellum rufipenne is not considered as a serious pest. Adults colonize weakened or freshly felled cedars (Cedrus spp.) and cypresses (Chamaecyparis spp.). The larvae bore shallowly into the wood causing minimal damage to timber. However, recently in Japan, C. rufipenne has been seen attacking living but stressed trees, such as drought-stressed cedars. C. rufipenne has been introduced into Italy and Spain and is now established in North Carolina, USA.

HOSTS

In Asia the primary hosts are within the cypress family (Cupressaceae); Chamaecyparis obtusa, C. pisifera, Cryptomeria japonica, Cupressus spp., Juniperus communis. In North America,  C. rufipenne has been found in eastern white-cedar ( Thuja occidentalis) and in eastern red-cedar (Juniperus virginiana).

DISTRIBUTION

• Asia: China, Japan, Korea
• Europe: Introduction into Italy and Spain
• North America: USA (introductions), Connecticut-1998, New Jersey-2000, North Carolina-1997

BIOLOGY

In Asia, there is one generation per year. Adults emerge in the spring as early as March and have been reported into summer depending on climatic conditions.  Males and females mate on the surface of the trunk of weakened or dead trees. Females lay 10-15 eggs in bark crevices.  Females are capable of laying eggs 1-3 days after emergence, indicating that maturation feeding is not required for oviposition. After an incubation period of 10-14 days, the larvae hatch, penetrate under the bark and by making galleries, feed on the phloem and cambium. In late summer, the mature larvae enter the wood (i.e. xylem), pupate in cells in the fall and overwinter as adults. The pre-pupal and pupal stages last about 30 and 20 days respectively. 

DETECTION & IDENTIFICATION

Symptoms

• Small, puckering incisions of 1 cm or more may be seen on host tree as well as corkscrew or sinus mining over which the bark may have healed, depending on the time of year. Frass can often be seen in these openings.

Identification

• Adult ranges from 6-14 mm in length, the body is slightly flattened with a brownish black head and pointed posterior.  The antennae of the male are slightly longer than the body, antennae of the female are two-thirds the length of the body.  The males are blue-black with reddish areas on the upper corners of the wing covers.  Females have brownish-yellow wing coverings, orange-red abdomen with dark brown or chestnut brown legs. Egg: white with a yellowish or greenish tint, about 1.4 mm in length. Larva: Up to 22 mm in length and 4.5 mm in width the thorax is wider than the posterior, the head, eye and antennae are red-brown in colour.  Legs stout with slightly elongated femur. Pupa is less than 16 mm in length with long antennae, if recurved beneath body, extending to at least second abdominal segment. Eyes slightly convex.  Ninth abdominal segment is very short but visible in dorsal view

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Text: Plant Health Survey Unit
Photos: J.M. Fengler, Connecticut Agriculture Experimental Station, New Haven, CT, USA