An invasive Mexican beetle, which was first discovered in forestry in Cratloe in late 2023, has successfully bred in Ireland for the first time, according to farmers in the affected area.
The Department of Agriculture has significantly increase the size of an ‘exclusion zone’ following the discovery of a number of Monterey Pine Engraver beetles in Clare and Limerick.
The Department has declined to confirm the location of these discoveries, but the size and shape of the expanded exclusion zone indicates that beetles have been discovered in at least seven locations in south Clare and north Limerick.
A spokesperson from the Department also declined to confirm that these fresh findings represented a breeding population, as they have not yet discovered an active nest.
Local forestry owner and Clare IFA Forestry Chairperson, John Fitzgerald, said that local farmers are “quite confident” that there is now a breeding population.
“We now know that we have a breeding population here in the Mid-West,” he said.
“We don’t know exactly where the breeding population is but we are quite confident that this is happening.”
“This beetle is after travelling across the Atlantic, no-one really knows what it is going to do in this environment.
“There are two species of the Monterey Pine Engraver beetle and we know that the species that we have is found in Mexico and Guatemala.
“But we don’t know what [tree] is going to host that beetle here.
“Our winters are mild and humid, so for that beetle to succeed here is very likely easier than in his native habitat.
“They have survived and bred so something [a species of Irish tree] is hosting them. They are here to stay, it’s just a matter of how quick they spread across the country. You see how quickly something like Covid 19 spread. It’s a small world now, a global village really. It is inevitable that it will spread across the country.”
After the initial discovery of the beetle in Cratloe Woods in late 2023, the Department of Agriculture introduced an exclusion zone of approximately 10km around the Cratloe area.
Any pine forestry being felled or transported within this zone has to be inspected by officials from the Department.
This exclusion zone has been increased dramatically to include some 2,000 square kilometres or 500,000 acres from Scariff in the north, Foynes in the west, Rathkeale in the south and Killaloe to the east, including all of Limerick City.
In late 2023, almost 100 of the beetles were discovered in traps in Cratloe Woods. All but one of the beetles were discovered in this woods, which is managed by Coillte. One beetle however, was discovered in the wild and had taken up residency in a dead native tree.
“What has yet to be determined is how much damage these beetles are doing to the trees that are hosting them. As yet, while we have a breeding population, we haven’t located any larvae. We know by the amount of beetles that have been caught that there is now a breeding population,” said Mr Fitzgerald.
Cratloe Woods is located relatively close to Shannon Airport, Aughinish Alumina, which imports bauxite from South America and the Shannon Foynes Company, which imports biomass from South America.
The Department of Agriculture is continuing to closely monitor forestry in the area.
“These findings do not necessarily represent a spread of the beetle, rather the findings made by the Department are from a wider survey aimed at delimiting the extent of the presence of the beetle following the initial findings,” said a Department spokesperson. “The Department has not, as yet, found any evidence of beetles breeding in trees of any species in surveys conducted in 2023 or 2024.”
A spokesperson from Coillte referred the query to the Department of Agriculture who they said are “responsible for implementing Ireland’s forest health regulations nationally and would be best placed to comment on any species affecting forestry”.
Andrew Hamilton is a journalist, investigative reporter and podcaster who has been working in the media in Ireland for the past 20 years. His areas of special interest include the environment, mental health and politics.