EAB have brown heads and a 10-segmented body with a pair of brown pincers on the last segment. EAB larva feeds on the tissues underneath the bark. As they feed, the larvae create serpentine tunnels which are also called galleries. These galleries disrupt the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients throughout the tree, which eventually ends up killing the tree.
-
Adult Emerald Ash Borer are very small, with green wings and a purple abdomen. When the insect is an adult they leave the inside of the ash tree through a “D” shaped exit hole which can be seen next to the penny pictured. Photo by Leah Bauer, USDA Forest Service
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) was detected in Dakota Dunes, SD in late January 2023. As a way to inform the residents of Dakota Dunes about the destructive insect, South Dakota State University Professor Dr. John Ball gave a presentation in March.
Ball, as well as being a professor, is a SDSU Extension Forestry Specialist and South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Forest Health…
