Los Angeles, California – Hikers climbing trails in Griffith Park and families gathering near Echo Park Lake are being urged to act immediately if they spot a destructive invasive beetle capable of killing hardwood trees across Los Angeles 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.
Griffith Park, Elysian Park and the Los Angeles River Greenway feature clusters of hardwoods that provide shade along heavily used trails, picnic areas and river corridors. Similar tree cover stretches into Pasadena parks and along the Arroyo Seco, where spring temperatures are driving more outdoor activity.
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 Santa Ana wind events, creating hazards along 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 Los Angeles’ urban canopy into summer.
