Is Dan around? I have a new bug. This thing is about 1.25 to 1.5 inches long, not including antennae. Actual size, on my computer. I bought another little digital camera. It takes crappy up-close photos, apparently. 
chris
Hi Chris,
You have one of the Borer Beetles, Family Cerambycidae. My best guess is a Western Pine Sawyer, Ergates spiculatus. Males have longer antennae. The dark head and prothorax and the lighter elytra or wing covers are a good indication of the species. Your specimen is small. Large males will reach 2 1/4 inches. They are attracted to lights. The eggs are laid in dead pine and the larvae which take two or three years to mature, are generally found in trees dead more than a year. Adults sometimes visit flowers for pollen. Dan, one of our beetle experts writes back: “daniel yup looks like ergates to me i wouldn’t refer to this as a pine sawyer though. Pine Sawyers are in the genus monochamus (much smaller) dan”
There you go. I looked up ergates spiculatus after receiving your email and the pictures that come up look pretty much like the beetle I had. They sound relatively harmless. It might have been a “small” one, but it was big enough. It surprised me pretty good…almost as much as the first Jerusalem Cricket I found.
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Posted 22 July 2004
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Unknown Bug
Found this on my door and was curious if you could identify it for me. We live in North Central WV, and never saw one before. Thanks.
Chad Fletcher
Hi Chad,
One of our contributing entomologists, beetle expert Dan, believes it to be Orthosoma brunneum, but it is impossible to be certain with your photo. The species, according to Dillon and Dillon “breeds in crossties, poles, and all structural timbers in contact with the ground or in moist, exposed situations. Adults are also attracted to lights.” That would explain the appearance on your door.
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Posted 07 July 2004
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Well I got a picture this time spotted the bug on a Cheatam Wood tree here in Italy, Tx , will send one file due to size.
(Ed. Note: Here is Richard’s original letter)
My unknown bug was long 3-4″ with a long thin iridescent green body, and with what looked to be a pair of long curved horns, it was on a tree and flew off when approached, it looked like some kind of a devil mantis. Location central Texas
I wish you had a photo.
Hi Richard,
Your bug is still unknown to me. All I can say is WOW, a large metallic green Cerambycidae Beetle. These are long horned wood boring beetles. I have recent contact with a beetle expert named Dan and will try to get you additional information soon. Your photo blew me out of the water.
Ed. Note: This beetle has been unidentified until Eric Eaton wrote in with an ID from a photo sent in on 10 July 2005. We now know this is Plinthocoelium suaveeolens.
Big and Beautiful.
Hiya bugman!
I found this beetle in my garage this evening. We live in Mesa, Arizona. The pic of it with the ruler came out fuzzy, but it’s a little under 3 inches long. That’s about as close as we were willing to get as it has pretty large mandibles. I scooched it along a little to see how it moves, and I think it was asleep because it jolted like I had startled it. It moves slowly and seems feisty, but then it’s easy to get grumpy in this 105 degree heat when all you want is to take a little siesta. I’ve been to about 10 different beetle websites and can’t find it. Can you help? I love your website!!
Sherri
We stand corrected.
Correction
I was just going through the identifications and noticed that someone made an error on an identification: Sheri (Mesa, Arizona) sent in an image of a large long-horn beetle. It was identified as a California Prionus. It is not a California Prionus, but a different long-horn beetle. It is of the genus Derobrachus, and is probably the species geminatus.
Bob Jensen
Entomologist
website:
Update: This just arrived on (08/08/2005)
identifications Hello – I was recently shown your site, and it is excellent. My specialization is longhorned beetles, and in cruising around I notice a number of incomplete or uncertain IDs for this family. I don’t know if you are interested in receiving this sort of input, but if you are, I offer the following additions to your identifications.
The species pictured is what presently is called Derobrachus geminatus, as you speculated– however, for the record, that name has been misapplied, and in fact, the species shown in the photo soon will be given another name.Cheers
Frank Hovore (Prionus) species.
Update: Palo Verde Root Borer
(08/18/2007)
Hello,
I just wanted to let you know that the beetle on your page 2, Some one gave the correct on the family name, but didn’t give a name on what they are called. I live in Tucson Az. & to my knowledge are mainly known here in the SW They are called “Palo Verde” beetles, because the female will lay their eggs in soil surrounding the Palo Verde trees, which will hatch & live underground for 3 years, feeding on the roots of the trees. They are usually seen in the summer & fly in the early evenings, they are attracted to light, which is why we always find them by our front porch where the light had been on! I couldn’t find anything on your page under that name, so I hope you find this helpful. They are the biggest bug I’ll ever want to see with pinchers! I’ve enclosed a couple pictures.Thanks,
Wendy Warunkiewicz
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Posted 02 July 2004
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Hello,
Thanks to your well-designed site, I was able to identify the large beetle in my driveway as a Prionus californicus. This was in Orange, California on July 2nd, 2004. Thought I’d share my photo with you, in return for the quick and detailed information.
Thanks again!
Marc McNaughton
Thank you for your kind words Marc, and also for the high quality photo. The species, according to Essig: “ranges along the Pacific Coast from California to Alaska and is also reported from Arizona, New Mexico, colorado, and Nevada. Adults are nocturnal and fly in midsummer to fall. They are readily attracted to lights. The adults make a loud humming noise on the wing and often strike the windows at night with an impact that almost breaks them.”
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Posted 02 July 2004
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This bug was found in Oklahoma…..can you tell me what it is?
Thanks,
Judy Campbell
Hi Judy,
You have Cottonwood Borers, Plectrodera scalator. They are beetles from the long-horned beetle family Cerambycidae. These are very large black and white beetles. We have several photos on our beetle page from last year. Adults are common around cottonwood and poplar trees and the grubs bore into the wood of those trees.
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Posted 02 July 2004
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Noticed here in southern New Hampshire (Merrimack) and I have never seen anything like it…. Any ideas?
Totally awesome photograph of a White-spotted Sawyer, Monochamus scutellatus. These large Long-horned Borer Beetles, Family Cerambycidae, are black with a bronze sheen and white markings. The males have extremely long antennae, like your specimen. They attack felled or dead pine trees. Because the larvae make a buzzing sound, they are called “Sawyers”. Though they usually feed on freshly cut logs, they may attack living trees.
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Posted 01 July 2004
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Hi I found your site after looking through about 50 websites trying to identify two bugs that I found in my backyard. I’m from Amarillo, Texas if that helps. I have attached pictures of these bugs. I have never in my life seen anything that resembled these two bugs! They are about 3-4 inches long with large antennae. They have pincher like mouths and are hard bodied. They can also fly but I don’t think they can go far because they are so large and heavy. Please help me figure this out because I have a young son and I’m afraid to send him out in the backyard thinking he might get bit by one of these. Thank you so very much for you help in my search!
Lisa
Dear Lisa,
You have Cottonwood Borers. They are beetles from the long-horned beetle family Cerambycidae. These are very large black and white beetles. We have several photos on our beetle page from last year. Adults are common around cottonwood and poplar trees and the grubs bore into the wood of those trees. They will not harm your children, but a huge infestation may harm your trees.
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Posted 26 June 2004
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This is an email forwarded to me by my aunt who found this interesting species of wasp in her backyard…Any ideas???
Rachel
“Hey,
I know you will think I’m being weirder than usual, but I happen to find all animals (even insects) very fascinating even the freaky ones!!
I was outside this am playing and cleaning up my Danes, then started cleaning the pool. I found this bug dead in one of the baskets. Talk about freaky!!!!!!!!!! Has anyone ever seen this or know what family of insects it is from? Its back-end is striped like a yellow jacket, but its huge!! It measures 3.5 cm from the tip of its tail to its mouth, and it has 2 different sets of wings, the back wings are clear with dark brown veins and are 2.5 cm long, and its front wings are dark brown/red and are 2 cm long but are shaped differently than its back. its long feelers/antennas are almost 3 cm long. and it has HUGE jaws (I think they are called mandibles) but science was a LONG time ago for me. It also appears to have a stinger out its back-end! WOE
~~~~ Debbie”
Hi Rachel and Debbie,
You found a Prionus which is a member of the Long Horned Borer Beetle family. These are among the largest beetles in California as well as other parts of the U.S. The grubs bore into the roots of Oaks, Madrone, Cottonwoods and some Fruit Trees. They will also feed on Eucalyptus. Adults emerge in summer and are often attracted to lights, which might explain its drowned presence in the pool.
Ed. Note: We just recieved this information.
(08/09/2005) identificationsHello – I was recently shown your site, and it is excellent. My specialization is longhorned beetles, and in cruising around I notice a number of incomplete or uncertain IDs for this family. I don’t know if you are interested in receiving this sort of input, but if you are, I offer the following additions to your identifications.
The beetle pictured is Prionus (Neopolyarthron) imbricornis (or much less likely, P. (N.) debilis; that level of detail is lacking in the photo), but with that many antennal segments, cannot be either of the two Californian Prionus (Prionus) species. Cheers.
Frank Hovore
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Posted 10 June 2004
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Hello, this bug was found boring through the plaster in my wall last night. What kind of bug is this? It left a hole about .25″ in diameter. I just moved into a newly constructed home in a newly constructed community last week. I live in Modesto CA, which is in the Central Valley and it is an agricultural area. It is possible this bug may not be from this area at all. It may have come along with the building materials the builders used. Can you tell from this picture what type of bug this is and if it is male or female. I am kind of concerned about whether or not this bug could of laid eggs inside my wall. If you need other pictures I will try and take some better ones. This one that I took is through a plastic zip-lock bag that I have the bug in. Also, the white powdery stuff on the bug is probaly the plaster from the wall.
Thanks so much !
Chris
Dear Chris,
It looks to me like you have a Pine Sawyer, probably Monochamus titillator. Members of this genus are usually over an inch in length. The first antennal segment has a scarlike area near the tip. The antennae of the males are sometimes twice as long as the body, while females have antennae about as long as the body. Your specimen looks like a female. They feed on evergreens, usually on freshly cut logs but they may sometimes attack living trees. They also bore into felled trees where the female lays eggs. I’m guessing your specimen has been boring in the pine of your home since the tree was cut. You really don’t need to worry about being infested at this point. Sometimes adults may emerge years after the eggs were laid.
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Posted 02 June 2004
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I found this beetle(?) on my back patio by my sliding glass door. I am extremely scared of bugs, any type, but I have never seen anything like this before. I live in South Florida (Port Saint Lucie) my backyard has a canal with a lot of trees and bushes. It looks to be around 25 mm in length, it is redish brown with long antennae that curl around and touch the ground. Sorry about my description, I try to stay away and know as little about bugs as possible. The picture may not be great but I was scared to get too close. I have attached it. Let me know if you need a better one and I will try my best.
Thank you, Kim
Hi Kim,
What a beautiful Long Horned Borer you have. The species is Prionus imbricornis. These are large reddish beetles. Your species is a male, identified by his longer, thicker antennae. Larger specimens can reach nearly two inches in body length. The larvae bore in oak, chestnut and other hardwood trees. They also live in roots of herbaceous plants.
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Posted 31 May 2004
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Hi, I Live in West Los Angeles/Santa Monica area and this morning – New Year’s Day, while blissfully watching the Rose Parade on TV with morning cuppa java this noise catches my ear – and my cat’s ear. It sounded like a small ornament had dropped off the Christmas Tree onto the window sill. Upon investigation it is a really horrid bug. Looks a bit like a cricket, 6legs, antenna and beige body with black spots. Body in length is approx 1″.I have seen crickets crawl, they’re slow and lumbering, so I was a bit relived that it wasn’t going to attack me in any way. I got the vacuum and prepared to suck the icky crawler into the swirling vortex of death. Wrong! The thing can fly! I lost it – both literally and figuratively. I got near it with the hose when it took off and disappeared into the darkness behind the tree and the cat and I quickly retreated to the safety of the bedroom to regroup and formulate a strategy on capturing the winged beast. I was afraid to leave it alone for too long lest I lose track of it in the house (not acceptable) so I grabbed the cat and we moved back in to the battle zone to wait for its reappearance. Sure enough within minutes it flew toward the window and banged into it with a loud “thwack”. I did manage to get it sucked up in the vacuum but it was still inside the plastic container crawling around lively in the dust. I thought it would surely die with the trip up into the vacuum, or choke on the dust but it didn’t. I looked closely at the bug and your site, but didn’t see any of the bugs that resemble this thing. I dumped it into a plastic trash bag tied it tightly and took it out of the house. Yeech! What is that thing? Did it come in on the tree or is it local to the area and how can I avoid seeing one ever again in my home? Need a glass of champagne now to steady my jangled nerves and will hope to hear from you when you catch up on emails.
Thanks,
Bugged by the Bug on the Westside
Dear Bugged,
Your letter is great, but lacking in some helpful identification details. I’m going to take a wild guess and say perhaps a beetle, the Eucalyptus Tree Borer. Here is a photo of a dead one sent last year.
Ed. Note: We just received this information:
(08/09/2005) identifications Hello – I was recently shown your site, and it is excellent. My specialization is longhorned beetles, and in cruising around I notice a number of incomplete or uncertain IDs for this family. I don’t know if you are interested in receiving this sort of input, but if you are, I offer the following additions to your identifications.
The eucalyptus borer in this photo (and also shown elsewhere on one of the other pages of your site) is Phoracantha recurva, nor P. semipunctata. Both species now have become well-established in California. Cheers.
Frank Hovore
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