Cactus longhorn beetle

Description:

Moneilema gigas is a large, flightless, black beetle native to the Sonoran desert at elevations below 1500 meters. The front wings are fused forming a single, hardened shell. M. gigas normally feeds on chollas and prickly pear cacti, and is known to feed on saguaro seedlings. Larvae bore into cactus roots and stems, sometimes killing more susceptible individuals. Adults also feed on the surface of cacti.[

Habitat:

Tohono Chul Park