The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, is a beetle native to East Asia where it is considered a minor pest, preferentially attacking weakened or dying ash trees. It was first discovered in North America in 2002 and has since become one of the most serious invasive insect pests, killing millions of healthy ash trees in urban and forested settings. Similar damage is now occurring in the region of Moscow, Russia, which causes serious concern for Europe. In this paper, we review the current knowledge on A. planipennis in Asia and North America, provide new information on its occurrence in the region of Moscow and Eastern Russia and make recommendations for research and management strategies in Europe.

Along-term faunistic study of bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), conducted in Estonia, as well as in Karelia, Leningrad (St. Petersburg) and Murmansk provinces of Russia, enables a comparison of the species composition of bark beetles in the regions bordering Finland. Altogether the distribution patterns of 83 species of scolytids are examined. The northern borders of the distribution range for Scolytus scolytus, S. multistriatus, S. laevis, Hylastes ater, H. opacus, Orthotomicus longicollis, Pityogenes trepanatus, Ips amitinus and Cryphalus abietis in Northern Europe are redefined. The list of bark beetles for Estonia and North- Western Russia (Karelia, Leningrad and Murmansk provinces) with their occurrence in some biogeographical provinces of Fennoscandia (Ik, Kl, Kon, Ks, Kk, Lim) is given. Recent records of bark beetles, endangered or rare in Finland, and their current distribution in the neighbouring regions are discussed.

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