Current range of Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, an alien pest of ash trees, in European Russia and Ukraine

Key message The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire), an alien pest native to Asia, has spread to Ukraine and 16 regions of European Russia. It severely damages Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh. introduced from North America, but serious damage to European ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) has not been detected in forests. Context The first detection of A. planipennis in European Russia was in Moscow in 2003, when it began to spread. Aims To determine the range of A. planipennis as of 2020. Methods In 2017-2020, our Russian-Ukrainian research team examined > 7000 F. pennsylvanica trees and > 2500 F. excelsior trees in 84 localities of European Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. Results The current range exceeds the area of Spain and includes the Luhansk region of Ukraine and 16 regions of ER: Belgorod, Bryansk, Kaluga, Kursk, Lipetsk, Moscow, Orel, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tambov, Tula, Tver, Vladimir, Volgograd, Voronezh, and Yaroslavl. Agrilus planipennis was not detected in Belarus. The overwhelming majority of the infestations were found on F. pennsylvanica. All known cases of infestation of the native species (F. excelsior) are from artificial plantings. Conclusion Agrilus planipennis will appear in other European countries soon and damage F. pennsylvanica. Further surveys are necessary to determine whether A. planipennis infests F. excelsior in forests.