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Locust Borer
Locust Borer
Insect. Black locust borers are beetles that specialize in attacking one genus of tree, the black locust! Females lay eggs on the bark and larvae tunnel into the trees. They hibernate over the winter. In spring, they become active again, and by late summer, a larva has dug up to 10 cm (4 in) of tunnel, .6 cm (¼ in) in diameter. This tunneling weakens the trees to the point that some break from the wind. Adults are slender beetles about 2 cm (3/4 in) long with two antennae. Females and males look the same. In the larval and pupal stages, they are cream-colored. Sometimes they are called “long horn beetles.”
Scientific Name Lifespan
Megacyllene robiniae Weeks to years
Diet
Herbivore. The caterpillar spends years eating the black locust tree. The adult eats the goldenrod blossom pollen when it is in bloom.
Predators and Threats
Wheelbugs and woodpeckers.
Habitat
The caterpillar overwinters in the bark of the black locust tree; North America.