What Does the Longhorn Beetle Eat?

Life Cycle

• Longhorn beetles spend the majority of their lives as larva. Adult female longhorn beetles burrow into wood sources, such as a tree, where they lay a single egg at a time. From the time that the egg is laid, it takes approximately one year for the adult longhorn beetle to emerge from the tree.

Larvae

• The larvae of longhorn beetles feed on wood sources. The adult beetles burrow beneath the bark of a tree or log to lay their eggs. Once an egg hatches, the larva lives for approximately one year inside of the wood source where it burrows further inward to feed off of the internal wood. This causes significant damage to the wood structure. If a large number of eggs are laid in a live tree, the feeding larvae can kill the tree. For this reason, longhorn beetles are often considered pests.

Adults

• Adult longhorn beetles live a relatively short lifespan of approximately 14 to 66 days. Typically, the adult beetles emerge in the months of July and August. Adult longhorn beetles are mobile and often feed on fallen twigs and leaves. However, a single female adult can lay between 30 and 60 eggs in her lifetime, leading to further larvae infestation.

Identification

• Longhorn beetles are so called due to their proportionately large antennae. The antennae often reach a length equal to the beetle's body. Most longhorn beetles feature a black shell, many featuring irregular white spots. However, some species instead have a grayish or reddish appearance. The different species of longhorn beetles vary in size, anywhere from under 1 inch to over 6 inches in length. The egg locations of longhorn beetles appear as small oval holes or slits in a tree's outer bark or the surface of other wood sources.