San Luis Obispo, California – Hikers climbing Bishop Peak and families gathering at Laguna Lake Park are being urged to act immediately if they spot a destructive invasive beetle capable of killing hardwood trees across the Central Coast this spring.
According to the U.S. Forest Service and the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the Asian longhorned beetle attacks maple, birch, willow, poplar and elm trees. Officials warn the insect burrows deep into trunks, cutting off nutrients and weakening trees long before visible dieback appears.
Laguna Lake Park, Johnson Ranch Open Space and trails weaving through Montaña de Oro State Park feature clusters of hardwoods that provide shade along creeks, trailheads and picnic areas. Similar tree cover stretches into Arroyo Grande and along riparian corridors feeding into the Pacific.
The beetle is glossy black with bright white spots and long black-and-white banded antennae that extend beyond its body. Visitors may notice perfectly round exit holes in trunks or sawdust-like material collecting at the base of trees.
If infestations spread, weakened limbs could snap during gusty spring wind events common along the Central Coast, creating hazards near trails and park roads.
Officials urge residents and park visitors to kill the beetle on sight if safely possible and report sightings immediately to state agriculture authorities. Early detection this season could prevent widespread tree removal and protect San Luis Obispo’s urban and coastal canopy into summer.
