A fearsome tree-killing beetle has reached North Dakota

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The Asian ash jewel beetle has been confirmed in North Dakota, the latest among dozens of states where the dreaded tree-killing insect has spread, state officials said Thursday.

Adult beetles were caught this week from a trap near Edgeley in LaMoure County. Follow-up investigations by state Department of Agriculture officials found more larvae, the agency said. This makes North Dakota the 37th state where the deadly pest has been discovered, the department said.

The invasive insect originates from Asia and has already destroyed millions of ash trees in the USA. It was first discovered in Michigan in 2002.

The beetle lays its eggs on the bark of the ash tree. After hatching, the larvae bore into the tree and feed from within, damaging and killing the tree, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

For years, North Dakota authorities have prepared for the beetle's arrival by setting and monitoring traps and promoting public awareness, said the state's agriculture secretary, Doug Goehring.

His department has placed a quarantine on LaMoure County, meaning that untreated firewood cannot be transported out of the county to other parts of the state. Anyone who does so faces a fine of up to $5,000.

In North Dakota, there are more than 90 million ash trees across the state, said Tom Claeys, the state forester.

The department, the state forest service and North Dakota State University Extension will work together to determine the extent of the beetle's spread, continue monitoring ash trees and conducting outreach in the coming months. Tree damage from an ice storm in December could make it more difficult to find infected trees.

Last year, a larva of the Asian ash beetle was found in Moorhead, Minnesota, a neighborhood of Fargo, North Dakota.