The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, 1888, is a serious invasive pest of ashes. This beetle, native to East Asia, has killed millions of ash trees in North America (Poland 2007; Knight et al. 2013). In Europe EAB has the highest quarantine status (EPPO 2013). It was first found in Europe in 2003 in Moscow (Shankhiza 2007). Now almost all ash trees in the Russian capital and its vicinity, both introduced American ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica and the indiginous European ash Fraxinus excelsior, are killed or greatly damaged (Majorov et al. 2012). Several years after the first record the beetles were found only in Moscow and its vicinity (Baranchikov et al. 2010). But in 2012 A. planipennis was discovered in the Smolensk region (Baranchikov and Kurteev 2012). In addition, communications about findings of the pest in Obninsk (Kaluga region) and the Tula region appeared in the media (Communication of the information agency “Regnum” 2012; Gninenko 2012). This paper provides data on the current range of A. planipennis in Russia.

In spring and summer of 2013 ash trees in 22 localities of European Russia were examined for damage caused by A. planipennis. Characteristic D-shaped emergence holes are reliable evidence of the presence of A. planipennis (Poland 2007). 2,719 trees of Fraxinus pennsylvanica and 115 trees of Fraxinus excelsior were examined. Damaged trees with emergence holes have been found not only in the Moscow region, but also in Konakovo (Tver region), Michurinsk (Tambov region), Tula, Kaluga, Orel, Yaroslavl, and Voronezh (Table 1). Some of these records have been described in detail (Orlova-Bienkowskaja 2013).

Table 1 Results of examinations of ash trees in European Russia in 2013
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In 2013, adults of A. planipennis were captured from June 8 to July 5. At the end of August larvae of the second instar and prepupae were found under the bark (identified after Chamorro et al. 2012). It may indicate that the beetle completes its life cycle in more than 1 year. In China and North America, the beetle completes its life cycle in one or 2 years depending on the climate (Wei et al. 2007; Mastro et al. 2007). A. planipennis has often been found infesting ash trees along with the bark beetle Hylesinus fraxini (Panzer 1779). (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) (Izhevskiy 2007), Agrilus convexicollis Redtenbacher, 1849 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), and Tetrops starkii Chevrolat, 1859 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) (original data).

In all examined localities of the Moscow region, as well as in the city of Konakovo (Tver region), most of the ash trees have already been killed by the EAB. Most ash trees in Kaluga, Orel, Tula, Yaroslavl, Michurinsk, and Voronezh appear healthy, but groups of damaged and dying trees with characteristic emergence holes are present. No signs of A. planipennis were found in other 10 localities. Data on the distribution of A. planipennis are summarized in the map (Fig. 1) and in Table 2.

Fig. 1
figure 1

The invasive range of A. planipennis in European Russia. Black dots indicate localities where A. planipennis has been found. White dots with a point are localities where examinations were performed but A. planipennis was not found. Sources of information are listed in Table 2

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Table 2 Localities where A. planipennis has been found in European Russia
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Currently, the westernmost known locality of the species is 250 km from Moscow (Baranchikov and Kurteev 2012). According to our data, the most northern locality of the species is Yaroslavl (230 km northeast from Moscow), the most eastern is Michurinsk (350 km southeast from Moscow), and the most southern is Voronezh (460 km south from Moscow). Adults of A. planipennis fly well, but can spread only 6–10 km per year by themselves (Mercader et al. 2009). How could the beetles spread over 460 km within only 10 years after the first record in Moscow? First, the beetle could have appeared in European Russia earlier. Second, long-distance human-assisted spread is quite possible. In America, natural spread is of minor importance compared to human-assisted movement (Poland 2007). It is interesting that A. planipennis was found in Michurinsk near the union railway station, while it was not found in the four nearest cities. This may indicate that the beetle was spread by transport.

The invasive range of A. planipennis is expanding rapidly. Within 10 years after the first record in Moscow this pest has spread to at least nine regions of the Russian Federation. The area of its invasive range is at least 150,000 km2 (i.e., it exceeds the area of England). Agrilus planipennis has been found as far as 460 km from Moscow, while the distance between the most western point of known range and the western border of the Russian Federation is about 180 km. Considering that ash species occur all over Europe, there is no reason to doubt that A. planipennis will eventually spread to other European regions. Baranchikov and Kurteev (2012) suggested that it would cross the western border of Russia and appear in adjacent countries before 2020. The present data strongly confirm this suggestion.

The first recorded infestations of A. planipennis in European Russia were observed on F. pennsylvanica (Volkovich 2007; Mozolevskaya et al. 2008) because this ash species introduced from America largely dominates in Russian cities, with European ash F. excelsior being occasionally planted. It was initially unclear whether F. excelsior was susceptible to the pest (Baranchikov et al. 2008). Now it is understood that F. excelsior is indeed susceptible: almost all Fraxinus excelsior in Moscow and its vicinity have been killed or greatly damaged (Majorov et al. 2012), and the present survey revealed that A. planipennis also damages F. excelsior in other regions, including Orel, Voronezh, and Tula.

The current situation with A. planipennis in European Russia is quite similar to the situation in North America. Obviously, A. planipennis will cross the western border of Russia and appear in other countries soon. As the pest kills both F. pennsylvanica and F. excelsior, it represents a serious threat for ashes in Europe and, indirectly, to the European economy and environment.