Beware the citrus longhorn beetle

10:58 18th June 2010

UK garden and greenhouse enthusiasts should be on the lookout for a species of beetle which saps the life from shrubs and trees.

The citrus longhorn beetle lays its larvae inside the trunks of plants, where it feeds off their vascular system and weakens them, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) reported.

The insects have already caused such a problem in Italy, France and The Netherlands that the European Union has suspended imports of Japanese maples from China.

It is thought that the beetle uses ornamental trees being brought from the Far East as a vehicle for getting across continents.

They can be spotted by looking for the white speckles on their backs and the antennae that are twice as long as their bodies.

Gardeners are being encouraged to trap any longhorns they find and report them to the Food and Environmental Research Agency's local plant health and seeds inspector.

Meanwhile, the RHS website contains a number of tips for June - the month which provides more sunlight than any other.