Banded Longhorn Beetle Good Or Bad?

All longhorn beetles are not bad, despite the infamy they have gained due to their Asian cousin. In this article, we look at the gentle banded longhorn beetle, which is a beneficial insect.

The longhorn (Cerambycidae) family of beetles, which comprises more than 35,000 different beetle species, is infamous for the damage they can cause to trees. 

It can indeed be quite concerning if a bunch of banded longhorn beetles shows up on your property. But not all species of these beetles are bad.

So, if you are wondering whether these beetles are good or bad, you have ended up on the right page.

What Are They?

Banded Longhorn Beetles belong to the longhorn family of beetles. Based on the number of bands, they are divided into three types:

• Two-banded longhorn beetle (Rhagium bifasciatum)
• Four-banded longhorn beetle (Strangalia quadrifasciata)
• Six-banded longhorn beetle (Dryobius sexnotatus)

You might also want to note that these beetles belong to a subfamily of longhorns known as flower longhorns. 

This is because adult banded longhorned beetles usually visit flowers for nectar. 

Among the various species of banded longhorns, the wasp beetle deserves special mention due to its ability to mimic wasps using its jerky flight pattern.

What Do They Look Like?

The banded long-horned beetle is easy to identify due to its unique appearance.

While the head and the pronotum are black, the rest of the body is covered in stripes of yellow and reddish brown or rusty red. 

Its wings are also banded and carry a fuzzy or velvet-like appearance.  The beetle has a pair of long and segmented black antennae and six yellow legs with black feet. 

Banded long-horned beetles grow up to 0.3 inches to 0.6 inches long. Around the shoulders, they are wider, while the tip of their abdomen looks tapered.

What Do They Eat?

You might come across adult banded longhorns in your garden, as they mostly feed on pollens and nectar. 

A wide variety of flowers attract these beetles, but the flowers of parsley, celery, and carrot plants are their favorites.

In the larval stage, these beetles feed on plant tissue by boring tunnels into the wood. 

Adult females tend to lay their eggs in dead or decaying wood that the larvae can easily bore through. Banded Longhorn larvae prefer goldenrod, sumac, birch, and poplar trees.

Are They Dangerous?

Banded longhorn beetles are not dangerous to humans, as they cannot bite or sting. They are capable of nipping, but the nips aren’t strong enough to draw blood or penetrate the skin. 

Their larvae do cause damage to trees by boring tunnels into the wood. However, it’s all a part of the ecological balance. 

The larvae help in the elimination of deadwood and improve the fertility of the soil. You can identify infested trees by looking for larval frass around the trees. 

Larval frass is a mix of sawdust and fecal matter that the larvae expel from the tunnels.

What Are They Attracted To?

Regardless of whether you primarily grow flowers, herbs, or vegetables in your garden, there’s a chance it might attract banded longhorns. 

Besides gardens, these beetles are also attracted to flowers growing in fields or other open places. 

Like most insects, they’re attracted to light sources, and you may find them around lights at night. As for the larvae, you’ll mostly find them in decaying wood.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wrap Up

If you have a tree stump lying around in your garden, it may potentially attract a longhorn beetle infestation. 

Although they won’t usually damage any furniture or a piece of wood in your home, they can easily destroy your beloved maple tree. 

Thank you for reading, and I hope you found this helpful. 

Keep an eye out for these pests and remove trees infested by longhorn larvae to protect your garden.