Emerald Ash Borer Life Cycle

Adults

• Adult borers emerge from the tree through D-shaped exit holes from late April throughout the summer.
• Adults live about 20 days. They feed lightly on ash leaves, but not enough to cause real damage.
• Adults are bright metallic green with rounded bellies and flat backs.
• Their peculiar shape accounts for the distinctive D-shaped exit holes from which they emerge from trees.
• Adult beetles are about 1/3 to 1/2 inches in length and about 1/16th of an inch wide.

An EAB adult emerges through a D-shaped hole in the tree's bark. (J. Zablotny, USDA APHIS)

The first adult EAB that was found in Indiana. (Steuben County, May 2004) (J. Ellis, Purdue University)

An adult EAB nibbles on an ash leaf. (J. Ellis, Purdue University)