In July 2017, an adult specimen of Agrilus ater (Linnaeus) was discovered in Morden Hall Park, London (TQ2668) by Roger G. Booth (Booth, 2018), and it seems that since this initial record there have been no other documented observations or records of this Agrilus species in the UK. A current research theme within the entomology team at Forest Research is trying to develop surveillance and early detection trapping protocols for Agrilus beetles, particularly for invasive species. Hence the previous discovery of A. ater provided an opportunity to evaluate a trap design that had been developed in the USA for capturing emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, to determine whether Agrilus ater was indeed established in Morden Hall Park. Green multifunnel traps (Fig. 1) are now routinely used along with green and purple sticky prism traps to monitor the spread of A. planipennis in North America, and they are currently being evaluated in the UK to determine whether they are an effective trapping method for catching other Agrilus species, both native and invasive.
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