LONG-HORNED BEETLE

also called longicorn, or wood-boring beetle any member of the approximately 25,000 species of the insect family Cerambycidae (order Coleoptera). These beetles occur throughout the world but are most numerous in the tropics. They range in size from 2 to 152 mm (less than 1/8 to about 6 inches); the length may be double or triple those sizes when the antennae are included. Many adults (e.g., Clytus arietes of Europe) visit flowers and mimic wasps with their yellow, black, and orange coloration and patterns. Some tropical species of Clytus mimic ants. The African Pterognatha gigas resembles a patch of moss or lichen with a few strands sticking out (its antennae). The yellowish or white larvae are often known as roundheaded borers because the front part of the plump larva is expanded to give it a rounded appearance. The strong jaws of the larvae bore through trees for two years or more, destroying timber. When ready to pupate the larva bores a tunnel to the outside, pupates within the tree, and as a new adult uses this tunnel as its exit. The long-horned beetle family is divided into several subfamilies, including the following: The prionids (subfamily Prioninae) have leathery, brownish wing covers (elytra), and the margins of the prothorax (region behind the head) are toothlike and expanded laterally. Included in this group is the pine-living genus Parandra (sometimes separated into the family Spondylidae) and the broad-necked prionus (Prionus laticollis), whose larvae live in grape, apple, poplar, and other tree roots. The cerambycids (subfamily Cerambycinae) include the ribbed pine borer (Rhagium cineatum), which has a narrow thorax with a spine on each side and three lengthwise ridges on its wing covers. It lives in pine trees during the larval stage. The lepturids (subfamily Lepturinae) include the elderberry longhorn (Desmocerus palliatus), also called the cloaked knotty-horn beetle because it looks as if it has a yellow cloak on its shoulders and has knotted antennae. It feeds on leaves and flowers of the elderberry bush, and its larvae bore into the pithy stems. The lamiids (subfamily Lamiinae) include the sawyer (Monochamus), a gray-brown beetle about 30 mm (1.2 inches) long, not including the long antennae. The larvae live in pines and firs and bore tunnels up to 10 mm (0.3 inch) in diameter. The roundheaded apple tree borer (Saperda candida) is one of the worst apple pests. The twig girdler (Oncideres cingulata) deposits eggs in twigs and then girdles, or cuts, a groove around the twig. Eventually the twig dies and breaks off; the larvae develop inside the dead twig.