Redbay Ambrosia Beetle (Xyleborus glabratus) - Laurel wilt is caused by the fungus Harringtonia lauricola, the symbiotic fungus of the invasive redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus. Since its first detection in 2002, the redbay ambrosia beetle has spread across the eastern US causing devastating impacts, both economic and ecological, to several tree and shrub species within the family Lauraceae, including redbay, avocado, and sassafras. So far, half a billion native trees have been killed in North America. Laurel wilt is currently limited to the southeastern US; however, it represents a threat tospecies of Lauraceae in other regions of the US as well as other areas of the world.