Ash borer reaches Rock Cut SP

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — State officials say the tree-killing emerald ash borer has been discovered in northern Illinois at Rock Cut State Park.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture says a specimen was collected and submitted to the USDA.

The state agriculture department’s director Tom Jennings says Winnebago County was already under quarantine. He says no immediate adjustment will be made to the quarantine boundary.

The emerald ash borer is a small metallic-green beetle native to Asia. Agriculture authorities say its larvae feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the flow of water and nutrients.

Officials say all or parts of 24 counties in northern and central Illinois are under quarantine to prevent the spread of the beetle.