Recovery and Distribution of Anthribus nebulosus, a scale predator introduced into Virginia in 1981

Anthribus nebulosus Forster (Coleoptera: Anthribidae) is a scale predator native to Eurasia that was imported from Hungary in the 1970s and released in Virginia Beach, VA, in 1981 as a potential biological control against soft scale insects. First recovery of A. nebulosus in Virginia Beach occurred in 2010, 29 years after release. Subsequent surveys of soft-scale infested oaks over a 3-year period indicated that A. nebulosus had spread up to 32km from the initial site in multiple cities and directions, but further spread was limited by geographic barriers.