Cottonwood Borer

Description:

Adult beetles can be found on and around host plants during the summer. They are large (1 1/4 inch long), robust longhorned beetles with black antennae as long or longer than the body. The body is beautifully marked with a bold pattern of black rectangular areas on a creamy white to yellow background. Larvae are legless, cylindrical (oval in cross section), creamy-white bodies and brown to black headed, growing to 1 ½ inch long. (Information Source: http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/bimg1...)

Habitat:

Mouthparts are for chewing. Cottonwood borers primarily infest cottonwood, but also occur on poplars and willows. Larvae (grubs) tunnel around the crown and buttress roots. Galleries, at and below the soil line, vary in length and form tunnels up to 8-inches long to 2- to 3-inch diameter oval areas, depending on tree size and infestation site. They are often packed with wood shavings (frass). Adults can be found on infested host plants during the daytime (Information Source: http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/bimg1...)