What Eats Longhorn Beetles? 4 Types of Insects That Eat Them

Longhorn beetles can cause a lot of devastation to trees, so it is important to understand what natural methods can be used to eliminate them, including which predators might eat them.

There are thousands of species of beetles scattered around the globe, but there is one that catches the eye of people.

Longhorn beetles are infamous due to their nature of destroying trees by boring a large continuous network of tunnels in the tree barks.

The Longhorn beetles are considered a threat to the forest around the world. Although there are not many natural predators of these beetles, some countries like China are conducting research to understand these beetles better and to find out ways to eradicate them from the region.

In this article, we will discuss what kills these Asian longhorn beetles, both naturally and artificially.

What Eats Longhorn Beetles

Predators

There are a number of invertebrate species that prey on these Asian long-horned beetles and the beetle larvae, but only a few are termed as specific hunters of these species of beetles.

Several ant species are known to hunt them in the Indian region. The redwood ants are considered highly effective in putting a brake on the growing population of these longhorn beetles.

There are woodpeckers who largely consume these beetles and are responsible for the effective control of these species in China.

You will be surprised to know that the Chinese have started putting bird nests around the beetle-infested areas to encourage woodpeckers to come and hunt them.

Parasitoids

Parasitoids are attackers that try to kill and consume the egg or the larva. One of the known natural predators of the Asian longhorned beetle is the eulophid wasps.

They are known to attack the beetle larva and the eggs.

The Aprostocetus fukutai is another prime egg parasitoid of these longhorn beetle. The larvae of D. Longulus can also be considered a threat to the Asian longhorn beetle larva.

The other known larval parasitoids are the braconid wasps and Dastarcus Longulus. These parasitoids live inside the host body, and they eventually end up killing the host itself.

Research is currently going on to find out if these parasitoids will work on Asian long-horned beetles.

Pathogens

A pathogen is a living organism that is capable of causing several diseases in its host.

Pathogens are of several types and usually include viruses, bacteria, and funguses. In the case of longhorn beetles, there are a few pathogens that can cause their death.

The fungus Beauveria bassiana is a pathogen that causes the death of long-horned beetles when it is injected into the holes that they make in trees.

Another pathogen B. brongniartii, which is from Japan, has also shown exceptional results in infecting and killing adult beetles.

There are many studies and experiments going on currently to find which pathogens are effective against the Anoplophora glabripennis (Asian longhorn beetle).

Nematodes

The entomopathogenic nematodes are also used to kill these Asian long-horned beetles.

Through studies, it was discovered that Steinernema bibionis and S. feltiae nematodes were effective in killing wood-boring beetles.

Other nematodes like S. feltiae are also under evaluation to determine their effectiveness in controlling these insects.

Despite the number of elements or creatures that kills these Asian longhorn beetles, there is a constant effort in trying to find more natural enemies for these insects.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you get rid of longhorn beetles?

Longhorn beetles are tough to track; therefore, you must first put effort into spotting their nest. Try finding pencil-like holes in the bark of the infected trees.
Once you find them, fill all the holes with some timber injection gel, this will help to kill the beetles.
Also, having natural predators like woodpeckers or redwood ants around will also help you get rid of them.

Why are longhorn beetles a problem?

Longhorn beetles are a problem because they are capable of causing massive damage to healthy host trees.
The beetle larva spends a good amount of time tunneling through the bark of a tree, making it almost hollow from the inside.
In many cases, the tunneling is so intense that even a gust of wind can knock down an entire infested tree.

Can longhorn beetles bite?

Longhorn beetles can bite, but they usually don’t end up attacking humans or pets. However, you must note that their bites are capable of inflicting a high amount of pain which can last for hours.
Also, their bite can cause a blister in the wounded area. Therefore it is best to maintain a safe distance from these bugs and not mishandle them in any way.

Are longhorn beetles invasive?

The longhorn beetles are considered invasive in the western Europe region and some North American cities, especially in New York. Currently, these countries are making efforts to get rid of these beetles.
These insects can destroy entire trees by boring through tree bark and making them unhealthy and hollow. They can cause a huge economic impact by destroying useful trees.

Wrap Up

Longhorned beetles are a massive threat to forests and healthy growing trees. This is why there is a constant worldwide effort to reduce their damage by controlling the population.

While there are a few natural hunters of the Asian longhorn beetles, the population still continues to grow.

This is why studies are required to find external measures to control the infestation of these beetle species.

We sincerely hope that the information provided above was helpful for you in understanding what can be done to put a brake on such infestations.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. 

Reader Emails

Ever since longhorned beetles gained infamy in the US, there have been efforts to find a way to get rid of them.

Go through emails from our readers sharing their pics and experiences of longhorned beetles from various countries, inquiring about which predators can hunt them down.

Letter 1 – Longhorn Beetle from Thailand: Aristobia approximator

 

Bug from Thailand
I am a eucalyptus farmer here in Thailand and discovered a new beetle yesterday munching on my trees. Can you please identify it for me? Thanks in advance,
Don

Hi Don,
Before you decide to spend money to eradicate the Cerambycid Beetle or Longhorn Beetle, Aristobia approximator, from your eucalyptus grove, you should know that we located a framed mounted specimen online for $109.00, which may make raising the beetles more profitable than raising the trees.

Letter 2 – Longhorn Beetle from Panama: Acrocinus longimanus

 

Ides of March 2006
Hello Bugman,
I found this beetle in Buena Vista, Panama. His body was about 8 cm long, but the front legs were enormous. He made a funny grinding noise when you would pick him up. Like those old-fashioned, wind-up toys that sounded like grinding metal. Can you tell me what he is?
Thanks,
Lisa

Hi Lisa,
Our friend Monica from Switzerland just mailed us a beautiful book called Living Jewels by Poul Beckmann, and plate 28, Acrocinus longimanus, is a dead ringer for your beetle. The book lists it from Peru, and BugGuide pictures a specimen from Ecuador.

Update from David Gracer (05/31/2006)
www.slshrimp.com
Longhorn Beetle from Panama: Acrocinus longimanus
The larvae of this species is eaten throughout much of Mexico and South America; like that of other big Cerambycids (Macrodontia, for example), such a meal would be both good-sized and, one might say, expensive. The grubs are large, and the adults that the larvae would otherwise become would fetch considerable sums of money as mounted specimens. Also worth noting: insects that feature complete metamorphosis – beetles, lepidopterans, flies, etc – are far more often consumed in the last-instar larval and pupal stages than the adult stage. The previous stages have a lot more protein and fats, which provide the fuel necessary to transform the insect into the imago stage (and would therefore make the potential food item more desirable in terms of both taste and nutrition.)

Letter 3 – Longhorn Borer Beetle

 

Black & white beetle ID
Great site! I’ve got photos of a beetle than I can’t find any ID on. It was found walking around on our deck last June. I’m assuming it’s some kind of borer or blister beetle? I’d be grateful for an answer so I can put a label on this stock photo!
Daryl Ann Anderson
Alston, Michigan

Hi Daryl,
This is one of the Longhorn Beetles, but will check to see if Eric Eaton can provide anything more specific. Here is Eric’s reply: ” The longhorn is actually some species in the genus Neoclytus, though I don’t know which one specifically. This genus is in a different subfamily (Cerambycinae).” Then Eric wrote back: ” Oh, the Neoclytus longhorn could also be in the genus Xylotrechus. I consulted a book on longhorns and got more confused. Hahaha! It would be in one of those two genera, though.”

Update While Eric was busy identifying the beetle, Daryl who wrote the original letter did a good job of researching as well, discovering this link to Xylotrechus undulatus:
I found it!!! Click here… What do you think?

Letter 4 – Longhorn Beetle: Synaphaeta guexi

 

What’s that Cerambycid?
Hi Bugman,
Thanks for being here. Talking to people about insects is part of my job and I am spreading the word about your wonderful site. I was asked to identify this long-horned beetle, but I have only limited collection information. It was found at a residence in a new subdivision north of Yuba City, California, approximately 45 miles due north of Sacramento in the Central Valley. I don’t know if it was associated with hardwoods or softwoods, but I do know that the neighborhood is a new subdivision and most of the landscape trees in the area are young hardwoods with stone fruit orchards within a mile. The body length is 1.5 centimeters. Thank you for your help,
Margaret Stelmok

Hi Margaret,
We are turning to Eric Eaton for help with your Cerambycid, and await his reply. Here is his response: ” The cerambycid is another Synaphaeta guexi. Boy, this must be their year!”

Letter 5 – Longhorn Beetle

 

Want to know what this is…
What kind of insect is this?
David P. Summers, SETI Institute
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, CA

Hi David,
You have told us much more about yourself than you did about the Cerambycid Beetle in your photo. We do not want to assume that because you are in California, that your Longhorn Beetle is also from California. We would really like to try to identify the species and would appreciate confirmation that the beetle was photographed in California. It really is a strikingly beautiful specimen. We will check if Eric Eaton recognizes it.

Hi, Daniel:
Yes, the longhorn beetle is Crossidius coralinus, a common species in arid lands of the western U.S. Adult beetles in the genus Crossidius in general can be abundant on late summer composite flowers, especially rabbitbrush. I believe the larve feed in the roots of sagebrush, but don’t quote me there.
Eric

It wasn’t photographed in California. The photo was taken in Zion National Park, Utah, on the Paarus Trail (in the early afternoon?). The Paarus trail winds long the Virgin river at the bottom of the canyon. If it matters, it was bright and sunny but there had been a brief but heavy shower a couple hours before.
David

Letter 6 – Longhorn Beetle from Panama: Acrocinus longimanus

 

Hello Bugman,
I found this beetle in Buena Vista, Panama. His body was about 8 cm long, but the front legs were enormous. He made a funny grinding noise when you would pick him up. Like those old-fashioned, wind-up toys that sounded like grinding metal. Can you tell me what he is?
Thanks,
Lisa

Hi Lisa,
Our friend Monica from Switzerland just mailed us a beautiful book called Living Jewels by Poul Beckmann, and plate 28, Acrocinus longimanus, is a dead ringer for your beetle. The book lists it from Peru, and BugGuide pictures a specimen from Ecuador.

Update from David Gracer (05/31/2006)
www.slshrimp.com
Longhorn Beetle from Panama: Acrocinus longimanus
The larvae of this species is eaten throughout much of Mexico and South America; like that of other big Cerambycids (Macrodontia, for example), such a meal would be both good-sized and, one might say, expensive. The grubs are large, and the adults that the larvae would otherwise become would fetch considerable sums of money as mounted specimens. Also worth noting: insects that feature complete metamorphosis – beetles, lepidopterans, flies, etc – are far more often consumed in the last-instar larval and pupal stages than the adult stage. The previous stages have a lot more protein and fats, which provide the fuel necessary to transform the insect into the imago stage (and would therefore make the potential food item more desirable in terms of both taste and nutrition.)

Letter 7 – Longhorn Borer Beetle from Japan

 

Big Beetle from Japan (longhorn beetle?)
Location: Tokyo, Japan
July 10, 2011 2:11 am
Dear Bugman and friends,
Hi! My friend and I photographed this bug at night on July 3, 2011 at Chinzan-so Garden in Tokyo. Its body was about 3 inches long from nose to tail, and the spread of its antennae was quite a bit more than that. It wasn’t terribly colorful, but it was impressively big. This is the biggest bug I’ve seen in person that was not in a zoo. Do you know what it might be? We thought it might be a longhorn beetle of some sort, but from my scan research, it seems those seem to run a bit smaller than this guy. Thank you so much!
Signature: Corky Visminas

Longhorn Borer Beetle

Hi Corky,
This is indeed a Longhorned Borer Beetle in the family Cerambycidae.  Our initial search did not produce any similar images.  Perhaps one of our readers will supply a comment with an identification.

Letter 8 – Longhorn Borer Beetle: Ipochus fasciatus

 

Subject: Maybe a Velvet Ant?
Location: California
October 27, 2014 5:01 am
I found this strange little guy (or gal) in my back yard. Couldn’t figure out what it was even after exhaustive searching (Mainly me typing Furry Ant-Spider Hybrid into various image search engines and forums), hopefully you may recognize it. In terms of size, it looked to me to be about 1cm long. I took pictures from a couple angles, it is a remarkable looking little thing, would love to know what it is! Thanks!!
Signature: Ace

Furry Bycid might be Lophopogonius crinitus
Furry Bycid is Ipochus fasciatus

Hi Ace,
This is a Longhorned Borer Beetle in the family Cerambycidae, not a Velvet Ant.  The furry covering is quite unusual for the family, but we did post a similarly hairy Bycid from Puerto Rico in January from the genus
Ecyrus.  We searched the genus Ecyrus on BugGuide and found only representatives in Eastern North America, but we expanded the search to include other members of the tribe Pogonocherini and that led to a single mounted specimen of  Lophopogonius crinitus that is pictured on BugGuide.  We also located images of mounted specimens on A Photographic Catalog of the Cerambycidae of the World.  There is not much information on this species online.  We have contacted Eric Eaton to get a second opinion of the identification.  Are you able to provide us with a county or city location?

Possibly Lophopogonius crinitus
Ipochus fasciatus

Eric Eaton Responds
Close.  Sort of.  Ipochus fasciatus:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/125447
Nice images considering how tiny.
Eric

Thank you so much! It feels so good to finally know what it is hahaha! The location is Santa Cruz, right along the coast, if that helps add to info about it’s geographical spread. Thank you again so much!!

Letter 9 – Longhorn Borer Beetles

 

Subject: Cerambycid I.D.
Location: Madera Canyon Road, Arizona
October 24, 2015 1:42 am
I found a number of these beautiful small cerambycids on Baccharis bushes on the side of the road going to Madera Canyon in Southern Arizona. Can you identify them for me? Thanks.
Signature: Bill King

Longhorn Beetles possibly mating
Longhorn Beetles possibly mating

Hi Bill,
Judging by the number of legs and antennae evident in your image, there appears to be another individual hidden, so you may have documented this lovely individual mating.  We found it pictured on FlickR and there it is identified as
Sphaenothecus bivittata.  According to Valerie’s Austin Bug Collection:  “The mate finding strategy of S. bivittata is rather flamboyant. Males position themselves on the highest tips of branches on flowering shrubs or small trees and keep lookout for females. Their long thin antennae wave in the wind. When females arrive, the males are quick to take action and they frequently mate while the females feed.”  According to BugGuide:  “Larval hosts: Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and Roses (Rosa spp.)”

Letter 10 – Longhorn Borer Beetle: Parandra polita

 

Subject: Whats this bug
Location: Western pa
July 9, 2017 5:06 pm
Whats kind of bug is this?
Signature: Thank you james

Longhorned Borer Beetle: Parandra polita

Dear James,
This proved to be a bit of a challenge because your beetle does not really resemble other members of its family Cerambycidae, the Longhorned Borer Beetles .  Luckily we identified it as
Parandra polita in Arthur Evans marvelous book Beetles of Eastern North America.  We verified that identification on BugGuide.  According to BugGuide:  “Larvae in heartwood of hickory, tuliptree, beech.”  In his blog Beetles in the Bush, Ted C. MacRae provides this account:  “As I did, I noticed a reddish-brown, large-mandibled beetle sitting on the sheet that, for all intents and purposes, looked like a small stag beetle. I wasn’t fooled, however, as I knew exactly what this beetle was—I had previously seen this species in the form of two individuals at a blacklight in southern Missouri very near to my current location (although it was 28 years ago!). It was Parandra polita, an usual longhorned beetle belonging to the archaic subfamily Parandrinae, and those specimens (MacRae 1994) plus another collected more recently a few miles north—also at a blacklight in wet bottomland forest along the Mississippi River (McDowell & MacRae 2009)—to date represent the only known occurrences of this uncommon species in Missouri.”

Reader Emails

Over the years, our website, whatsthatbug.com has received hundreds of letters and some interesting images asking us about these insects. Scroll down to have a look at some of them.

Letter 1 – Pole Borer from Ecuador

 

Subject: Ecuadorian Beetle Location: Ecuador January 7, 2016 8:29 pm I photographed this beetle at Cabanas San Isidro, Ecuador, which is on the east slope of the Andes at about 6000′ elevation. Is it in the family Carabidae? Or, something else? Thanks for any help you can provide. Signature: Allen Chartier
Pole Borer Resolution : 300 x 300 dpi Bit Depth : 8 bits/channel Protection Attribute : Off Hide Attribute : Off Camera ID : N/A Camera : E995 Quality Mode : FINE Metering Mode : Center-Weighted Exposure Mode : Aperture Priority Speed Light : No Focal Length : 26.9 mm Shutter Speed : 1/113 second Aperture : F4.6 Exposure Compensation : 0 EV White Balance : Auto Lens : Built-in Flash Sync Mode : N/A Exposure Difference : N/A Flexible Program : N/A Sensitivity : ISO200 Sharpening : Auto Image Type : Color Color Mode : N/A Hue Adjustment : N/A Saturation Control : Normal Tone Compensation : Auto Latitude(GPS) : N/A Longitude(GPS) : N/A Altitude(GPS) : N/A
Pole Borer
Dear Allen, Though it does resemble a Ground Beetle in the family Carabidae or a Stag Beetle in the family Lucanidae, we believe we have correctly identified your individual as a Pole Borer in the genus Neandra from the Longhorned Borer Beetle family Cerambycidae based on this nearly identical image from BugGuide.  Though you found this critter in South America, we turned to BugGuide, the premier insect identification site in North America, to research some information on Carabidae, and we found the image in the section on the BugGuide Carabidae site that is “Other beetles superficially resembling carabids.”  According to BugGuide, the Pole Borer is found in:  “moist decaying wood; larvae bore in trees and structural wood (poles, crossties, etc.) in contact with moist ground; adults may emerge, mate, and lay eggs in the same cavity they occupied as a larva.”  Finally, Project Noah reports the Pole Borer from Ecuador.

Letter 2 – Red Headed Beauty

 

Subject: Found long ago Location: Not sure. Texas? December 31, 2015 10:39 am Found this bug in a box, saveso by me as a child. Long antennae orange, but black at eaxh segment. Longhorn beetle of some kind? Elytra is purplish-black, somewhat iridescent. Six legs, orange, black at the joint segments. Orange thorax with two spots, like false eyes. Signature: RRH
Red Headed Beauty
Red Headed Beauty
Dear RRH, We are still catching up on old submissions from our two week holiday hiatus.  It is very exciting that you found this old specimen in a childhood collection box.  We were so thrilled to be able to identify your Longhorned Borer Beetle as a Red Headed Beauty, Stenaspis verticalis insignis, on BugGuide after being let to it by the Longhorn Beetles of Texas site. It is also pictured on Cerambycidae Catalog Search. Thank you! I knew I had a Longhorn but had trouble from there! It’s a beauty. R

Letter 3 – Rustic Borer we believe

 

Subject: What is this called? Location: Southeastern Wisconsin March 8, 2016 9:33 am Found this guy in our front hallway, never seen one like this before. Just over a 1/2″ long, tan, black and looks like a little yellow detail. Signature: SDub
Rustic Borer, we believe
Rustic Borer, we believe
Dear SDub, We believe this Longhorned Borer Beetle is a Rustic Borer, Xylotrechus colonus, based on images posted to BugGuide.  According to BugGuide:  “larvae develop in virtually all eastern hardwoods, especially Carya, Fagus, and also Pinus.”  BugGuide also notes:  “prefers recently killed trees” and “comes to lights; one of the commonest eastern creambycids [sic].”  Perhaps it came into the house with firewood and the warm indoor temperature caused it to emerge early.

Letter 4 – Red Listed Longicorn from Macedonia is Morimus funereus

 

Subject: Intimidating Location: I live in Tetovo Macedonia located in Europe May 5, 2016 9:57 am Sir. Bugman I really would like to know the name of this bug that i saw at class today it looked very interesting because i havent seen a insect like that before I just took some pictures of it and left. But i kept thinking about it so i searched on the internet but couldnt find anything, if you have time i would like to know the species of the insect.. Thank you P.s I named it Ghost Signature: Ballz
Longicorn: Morimus funereus
Longicorn: Morimus funereus
Dear Ballz, This is a very exciting posting for us.  We found your Longicorn, Morimus funereus, on FlickR where it states the host plants are beech and oak and that the species is found in Southern Europe, and we realized we have an individual from Serbia in our own archives.  Upon doing additional research, we learned on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species that it is a vulnerable species.  According to Cerambyx, it “is a nocturnal species but can easily be found hiding in piles of cordwood or sitting on stumps even during the day.”  Because she has shorter antennae, Ghost is a female.  We hope you are able to release her into a suitable habitat where she can attract a mate and reproduce.

Letter 5 – Purplescent Longhorn NOT Red Shouldered Pine Borer

 

Subject: Help please! :3 Location: NC June 14, 2016 3:20 pm I love entomology and have recently identified many buggys! Including a eastren hercules beetle! But this guy has me stumped!!! He can fly and he is pretty big. I’m hoping you can tell me what it is! Thanks! Signature: Fiz
Red Shouldered Pine Borer
Purplescent Longhorn
Dear Fiz, This gorgeous Longicorn is a Red Shouldered Pine Borer, Stictoleptura canadensis, and you can verify our identification on BugGuide where it states:  “The normal colouration of Stictoleptura c. canadensis (Olivier) is with banded antennae (male and female). Rarely the antennae are all black.… Christopher Majka, 31 January, 2013.”  Your individual appears to have all black antennae.  Some individuals  have mostly red elytra or wing covers. Thank you! I was so confused!!! I can easily identity most bugs but this one gave me a time! Thanks again! 🙂 Correction:  07/26/2021 While researching a new submission today of a Purplescent Longhorn, we realized we had misidentified this individual several years ago.  This is Purpuricenus humeralis which is pictured on BugGuide.

Letter 6 – Wasp Mimic Longhorn Borer Beetle from British Columbia

 

Subject: What’s this bug? Location: North 40 Park Reserve Delta, BC June 29, 2016 10:42 pm My son who loves bugs can’t figure out what this one is. Can you help? Signature: Tina
Wasp Mimic Longhorn Beetle
Wasp Mimic Longhorn Beetle
Dear Tina, Upon first viewing the attached thumbnail, we thought we were going to tell you this was a parasitoid Ichneumon Wasp, but once we enlarged the image, we quickly realized our error.  This is actually a Longhorned Borer Beetle in the family Cerambycidae, and we are very excited to attempt its species identification.  The drastically shortened elytra or hard wing covers really reminds us of another Cerambycid, the Lion Beetle, so we searched BugGuide for related species and we quickly found a visual match with Necydalis laevicollis.  Alas, BugGuide has no species information nor is there much genus information on BugGuide Necydalis laevicollis is also pictured on Nature Watch, but again there is no specific information.  According to Western Forest Insects online “Necydalis laevicollis LeConte is a smaller more slender species that occurs from British Columbia to central California.  It has been recorded from Picea, Alnus, Salix, Arbutus, Quercus, and Lithocarpus.  The coniferous host record needs to be verified.”  E-Fauna Photo Gallery also has some nice images.  Thank you for submitting this new species to our site.

Letter 7 – Starry Night Sky Beetle from South Korea

 

Subject: Bug in korea Location: South korea seoul namsan park July 6, 2016 11:02 pm I am currently visiting in korea and have seen a quite bug black and yellow or white bug , i took a picture which iam attatching and hope you can identify it Signature: nina nunn
Starry Night Sky Beetle
Starry Night Sky Beetle
Dear Nina, This Starry Night Sky Beetle or Asian Longhorned Borer Beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis, does not present much of a problem in its native Asia, however, it has been in the news lately because its accidental introduction to North America is resulting in the compromised health of many trees.

Letter 8 – Purplescent Longhorn, NOT Red Shouldered Pine Borer

 

Subject: Black and red bug in Virginia Location: Lynchburg, VA July 11, 2016 8:09 pm Saw this outside my apartment building this past weekend. What’s that bug? Signature: Maureen
Red Shouldered Pine Borer
Purplescent Longhorn
Dear Maureen, This stunning beetle is a Red Shouldered Pine Borer, Stictoleptura canadensis, and it is also a highly variable species, meaning many of the images on our site of the Red Shouldered Pine Borer are more red than the namesake color variation you submitted.  The Red Shouldered Pine Borer is classified as a Flower Longhorn in the subfamily Lepturinae, meaning adults are frequently found on blossoms where they feed on nectar and pollen.  Larvae bore in dead or dying pine. Correction:  07/26/2021 While researching a new submission today of a Purplescent Longhorn, we realized we had misidentified this individual several years ago.  This is Purpuricenus humeralis which is pictured on BugGuide.

Letter 9 – Female Two-Spotted Longhorned Bee

 

Subject: Black Bee Location: Faribault County, Minnesota August 9, 2016 12:12 pm Greetings, What’s that Bug Volunteers! I am happy to say the bug activity in my Rain Garden is finally picking up. I was wondering how long that would take, so I am now relieved. I watched a Leaf Cutter Bee cut a leaf and fly off with her prize for her nest. I witnessed a Monarch Butterfly lay an egg on a Milkweed stem. I’ve seen TWO Great Black Wasps on the Milkweed. The Soldier Beetles are back in abundance, as are the Cicada Killer Wasps. The Northern Paper Wasps like getting drinks at the birdbath. And the aphids are emerging on the Milkweed so I expect the lacewings and lady beetles will soon arrive, along with those tiny parasitic wasps. The photos I’ve attached are of a black bee which has proven quite challenging to photograph. I finally caught it on a late Miniature Hollyhock blossom over this past weekend. I like the pollen sacs on the legs. I have Bumble Bees of various sizes in my garden; this though does not appear to be a Bumble Bee. Can you help me out? Blessings to one and all, Wanda J. Kothlow Signature: Wanda J. Kothlow
Black Bee
Female Two-Spotted Longhorned Bee
Hi again Wanda, How nice to hear your rain garden is thriving.  We just hear yesterday that Southern California may be expecting a dry “La Niña” winter next winter, though since our predicted wet “El Niño” winter last year was a bust, all bets are off on what will really happen.  In our memory, miniature hollyhocks are about an inch across, which would make this black Bee about half that.  Are we correct?  We suspect this might be a Carpenter Bee, and we are requesting assistance from Eric Eaton as we cannot provide you with anything specific at this time.
Black Bee
Two-Spotted Longhorned Bee
Eric Eaton Responds Daniel: Female of the Two-spotted Longhorned Bee, Melissodes bimaculatus.  Males have antennae about twice as long as the females. Eric author, Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America Ed. Note:  Here is a link to BugGuide.  There is also some great information on Discover Life.
Two-Spotted Longhorned Bee
Two-Spotted Longhorned Bee
Greetings, Daniel et al! Yes, your memory is correct. Miniature Hollyhocks (Sidalcea sp) blossoms are an inch or just a tad larger. Quite prolific here and terrific pollinator draws; not as magnetic as Milkweed, Liatris or Monarda, but still good draws. Speaking of milkweed, I noticed an overabundance of Large Milkweed Bug nymphs last week. And I do mean overabundance. The aphids don’t annoy me since I know my integrated past management system will address that issue. The large Milkweed Bugs though, well I guess I live with them or remove a colony here and there with snippers and a plastic bag … Exciting to hear I can add a new insect to my list of photos! A female Two-spotted Longhorned Bee! WooHoo! She’s quite a “tease” in that she never landed long enough for me to focus and photograph until recently. Glad she was hungry long enough for me to take her picture! Hope you are safe where you are in CA; I keep praying for rain where it is needed and dry where it is too wet. Thank you yet again for your assistance in helping my insect list grow! Blessings, Wanda J. Kothlow

Letter 10 – Two Banded Longicorn from Scotland

 

Subject: Numerous insects needed identifying for Doe Location: Scotland September 20, 2016 1:22 pm Hello, I am presenting a Doe Presentation on Thursday and need to know the name of some of the insects we saw on our expidition. Signature: Faithfully?
Longicorn:  Rhagium bifasciatum
Two Banded Longicorn: Rhagium bifasciatum
Dear Faithfully?, What is a Doe Presentation?  Your third image is of a Two Banded Longicorn that we identified as Rhagium bifasciatum on FlickR.  Your first image is a Millipede and your other image is too blurry to identify.

Letter 11 – Tea Tree Longicorn from Australia

 

Subject: Trying to identify this bug Location: Strathalbyn, South Australia October 8, 2016 6:11 am Hi, just hoping you could help.us to identify what sort of bug this is thanks. Signature: Sam
Tea Tree Longicorn
Tea Tree Longicorn
Dear Sam, We quickly identified your beetle as a Tea Tree Longicorn, Platyomopsis obliqua, thanks to images posted to the Brisbane Insect site.  There is a mounted specimen on the ICDB page, but not many images of living specimens are identified on the internet.
Tea Tree Longicorn
Tea Tree Longicorn
Thankyou so much for your help my young daughter was very intruigued by it.

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  • Bugman

    Bugman aka Daniel Marlos has been identifying bugs since 1999. whatsthatbug.com is his passion project and it has helped millions of readers identify the bug that has been bugging them for over two decades. You can reach out to him through our Contact Page.

  • Piyushi Dhir

    Piyushi is a nature lover, blogger and traveler at heart. She lives in beautiful Canada with her family. Piyushi is an animal lover and loves to write about all creatures.

1 thought on “What Eats Longhorn Beetles? 4 Types of Insects That Eat Them”

  1. My co-worker came across one of these while we were out doing habitat restoration at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach, CA. It was challenging figuring out what it was and more challenging learning anything about it. What does it eat? Is it rare? In our combined 20 years of habitat restoration here in Orange County neither of us has ever seen one before. I have some good photos if anyone wants them.

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