A beetle known for spreading disease among walnut trees has been found in Butler County.

Eight so-called Walnut Twig Beetles were recently caught in traps set by wildlife officials at a lumber processing facility, according to an announcement Monday from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry and the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

The Walnut Twig Beetle carries a fungus that causes Thousand Cankers Disease. The disease infects and can ultimately kill walnut trees. The beetle was first found in Colorado in 2003 and it has since been found in 11 other states, state wildlife officials said.

Symptoms of the disease on a walnut tree include thinning crowns, yellowing or wilted leaves in the crown and smaller than normal leaves.

State officials are surveying Butler County for evidence of the beetles or the disease they carry.

“After further investigation, officials will determine an appropriate course of action,” according to the ODNR news release.