Tree danger: Invasive beetle found for 1st time on Staten Island

NEW YORK --An invasive type of beetle has been found for the first time on Staten Island, where it could kill hardwood trees and threaten the local ecosystem, parks officials said Tuesday.

A silver maple tree infested by Asian long-horned beetles was found on a private lot in the Bloomfield section of the island, Department of Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe said.

"It could wipe out, if it's not checked, half of the trees of Staten Island, which would completely change the character of the island," Benepe said.

The discovery last Thursday followed the finding this month of at least 37 infested trees on nearby Pralls Island, an uninhabited bird sanctuary closed to all but a few researchers, Benepe said. In response to the larger infestation, city and state workers are destroying all the trees in the sanctuary that are at risk.

The infested tree on Staten Island was to be chipped and likely burned, Benepe said. The borough is especially at risk because it has more acres of parkland than the city's four other boroughs, he said.

The adult Asian long-horned beetle's body is an inch or two long and is glistening black. Bright white dots are scattered across its back and on its long antennae.

The beetles bore into maple, birch, poplar, willow and elm trees, among others. They feed on the trunks and ultimately kill the trees.

Experts believe the beetle hitchhiked to the United States on wooden packing material from China.

A few infested trees were found in Central Park in 2005, and the beetles have destroyed more than 4,000 trees in the city.

Benepe called for increased funding to fight the infestations, which could spread northward and damage the maple syrup industry in states such as Vermont and New Hampshire.

"Effects on the neighboring states could be devastating," he said.