The ash whitefly has caused severe damage to pear and apple in Europe and has caused some misery for landscapers in California where it was first discovered in 1988. It was discovered in North Carolina in November, 1993.
Heavy infestations cause leaves to wilt and to drop prematurely.
This whitefly infests catalpa, redbud and other legumes, crape myrtle, magnolias and tulip trees, all the true ashes, ligustrum, lilac, pomegranate, buckthorn, crown of thorns, serviceberry, quince, hawthorn, loquat, crabapple, apricot, plum, peach, choke cherry, pyracantha, buttonbush, and citrus. If you discover whiteflies on trees and shrubs, please contact Jim Baker or Glenn Hackney . Asian Maple Borers Lloyd Garcia, an entomologist with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture's Plant Protection Section, has passed along some information on the Asian maple borer , Anoplophora glabripennis , a recently introduced longhorned beetle that attacks and kills maples and horsechestnuts. In China, it attacks elms, poplars, willows and fruit trees. At this time, the beetle seems to be confined to New York, but it is important to try to limit the spread of this very damaging insect.