Xyleborus glabratus

Xyleborus glabratus (redbay ambrosia beetle) is a type of ambrosia beetle invasive to the United States. It has been documented as carrying the fungus that causes laurel wilt, a disease that can kill several tree species in the Lauraceae family, including redbay and avocado.[1][2]

The beetle, first detected in the United States in 2002,[3] is native to Asia and may have arrived in wood products, packing materials or pallets. Laurel wilt has been found in South Carolina and Georgia, and notably in Florida, where it has reached as far south as Dade County[4][5][6] and as far west as Bay County.[7] In 2009, state officials in Mississippi confirmed the positive identification of the disease in Jackson County.[8][9] In 2011, it was confirmed as present in North Carolina and Alabama.[7]