Washington, DC – Visitors walking beneath cherry and maple trees along the National Mall are being urged to act immediately if they spot a destructive invasive beetle capable of killing hardwood trees across the District this spring.
According to the U.S. Forest Service and the DC Department of Energy and Environment, the Asian longhorned beetle attacks maple, birch, willow, poplar and elm trees. Officials warn the insect burrows deep into trunks, disrupting nutrient flow and weakening trees long before visible dieback appears.
Rock Creek Park, the National Mall and the Tidal Basin feature mature hardwoods that shade monuments, trails and heavily visited gathering spaces. Similar tree cover lines the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail and extends into Theodore Roosevelt Island and Arlington parks just across the Potomac.
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 strong spring wind events common in the Mid-Atlantic, creating hazards along park roads and pedestrian paths.
Officials urge residents and park visitors to kill the beetle on sight if safely possible and report sightings immediately to local agriculture or environmental authorities. Early detection this season could prevent widespread tree removal and protect the District’s iconic canopy into summer.
