Subject: is this a wasp mimic longhorn beetle
Geographic location of the bug: Madill, Oklahoma (central southern part of state)
Date: 02/04/2019
Time: 02:38 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: found this unusual beetle while working cows on our ranch this past weekend 2-3-2019. Was a warm (unusual 60’s degree F) winter day
How you want your letter signed: chris w. bradshaw
Dear Chris,
This looks to us like a Hickory Borer. Hickory Borers are active late in the winter and early in the spring. Those appear to be oak leaves and acorns in your image. Do you also have nut trees nearby? According to BugGuide: “larvae mine newly dead hickory, and sometimes other hardwoods.” It is commonly accepted that the Hickory Borer, one of the Longhorned Borer Beetles in the family Cerambycidae, is a Yellowjacket mimic.
Thanks Daniel, and yes we have pecan grove not too far away. They were just planted 3 years ago so not very old yet. Again Thanks.
Chris
Update: We wouldn’t rule out that this might be a Mesquite Borer, which is pictured on BugGuide, though BugGuide does not report the Mesquite Borer from Oklahoma.