Invasive Insects

Emerald Ash Borer

EAB uses ash trees as a host plant for larval development and feeding. Adults are narrow and 8-14 millimetres; they are metallic green with bright red patches under their wings.

Asian Longhorned Beetle

ALB are an invasive forest pest that attacks a wide variety of hardwood trees including maple and birch. Adult beetles are between two and four centimetres and shiny black with large irregular white spots on their backs.

Spongy Moth

Spongy moths and their caterpillars defoliate hardwood trees. They are up to six centimetres long with five pairs of blue dots and six pairs of red dots running down their back and are covered in long light hairs.

Spotted Lanternfly

SLF was first detected in North America in September 2014. The adult insect feeds primarily on a non-native tree, the tree of heaven, although nymphs are known to attack a wide range of native hardwood and fruit trees.

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid

Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) is an aphid-like insect (aphids suck fluid from plants) that attacks and kills hemlock trees by feeding on nutrient and water storage cells at the base of needles.

Brown Spruce Longhorn Beetle

A small, brown flying beetle (no more than 2.5 centimetres) with long reddish antennae, which infests spruce trees.

Mountain Pine Beetle

Mountain pine beetle (MPB) is a small beetle (less than a centimetre) that is native to western Canada and uses lodgepole pine as a host.

Southern Pine Beetle

As the southern pine beetle continues to move north, it poses a threat to Canadian pine forests. However, to date, SPB has not been detected in Canada.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

The BMSB has been found in four Canadian provinces. BMSB is an agricultural pest whose adults and nymphs feed on a wide variety of fruiting crops, causing damage to the fruit flesh and skin.

Sirex Woodwasp

Sirex woodwasps are a parasite of a wide variety of pine species. The females lay eggs in the tree in a substance that is toxic to the tree. The adult wasp can be up to three centimetres long with thin bodies.

Pine Shoot Beetle

The pine shoot beetle is native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia. Most damage caused by this species has been reported in areas where pine plantations exist, especially in instances of poorly managed plantations.

Elm Zigzag Sawfly

Elm zigzag sawfly is an invasive forest pest native to Asia, specifically parts of China and Japan. This invasive species can cause severe defoliation of elm trees, which can have cascading impacts on forest ecology, the economy and societal values.

Northern Giant Hornet

Northern giant hornets (formerly Asian giant hornets) pose a threat in their non-native range as they feed on insects and are predators of honeybees.

European Fire Ant

The European fire ant is an invasive pest in North America whose native range is in Europe and northern Asia.

Japanese Beetle

Japanese beetles are invasive plant pests that feed heavily on flowers, trees, gardens, crops, and turf.

Box Tree Moth

The box tree moth poses a major threat to boxwood (Buxus spp.), a genus of common horticultural shrub in Canada. Most damage occurs as the larvae feed on the boxwood, causing defoliation and dieback of the host.

European Cherry Fruit Fly

In Canada, the European cherry fruit fly has been detected in association with invasive honeysuckle found in urban parks in Southern Ontario. Further spread of this pest poses a severe threat to Canada’s cherry industry.