The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reports that the emerald ash borer has been positively identified for the first time in rural Iowa.

Investigations have resulted in the identification of larvae in Marion County, as well as Lucas, Monroe, Appanoose, and Mahaska Counties. In Marion County, larvae were found in an ash tree on public property on the edge of Marysville. According to the DNR, the insect kills all ash trees it encounters and is considered to be one of the most destructive tree pests in North America. It has now been identified in 18 Iowa counties.