Locust Borer

Fascinating facts about the Locust Borer

• Its black and yellow striped body makes it look like a wasp or bee from afar, a resemblance that often fools casual observers. Adults measure between 11 and 28 mm and display a distinctive W-shaped third stripe on the elytra. They feed on the pollen of goldenrod (Solidago) and, because of this floral preference, are usually found in uncultivated fields and meadows where the trees grow.
• The full-grown larvae are legless, white and robust, reaching about 25 mm in length before they begin tunnelling. Inside the bark they create galleries roughly 10 cm long by 7 mm wide, and these tunnels later become entry points for the heart-rot fungus Fulvifomes robiniae. The larvae spend the winter hibernating within the bark before resuming activity in spring, where the fungal infection further weakens the host tree.
• By 1900 the beetle's damage had wiped out the commercial value of black locust trees across most of the United States, a loss reported beyond the mountain forests where the tree is native. The beetle's larval tunnels promote fungal infections that further degrade timber quality. Today the only registered control is a single dose of carbaryl applied when adults are most active in August and September.
• In autumn females scramble up black locust trunks, seeking bark wounds to deposit their eggs. They are often seen running up and down the trees in search of suitable crevices, and lay the eggs directly in those wounds during the fall season. Once laid, the eggs hatch and the newly emerged larvae remain dormant, spending the winter hibernating within the bark until spring.
• Males sport antennae that reach two-thirds of their body length, while females have shorter antennae only half as long. Both sexes share dark brown to black coloured antennae, matching the beetle's overall dark hue. The adult beetle itself measures between 11 and 28 mm, so the male's feelers can be several centimetres long compared with the female's.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Locust Borer

In the warm, golden light of autumn, the locust borer beetle emerges, its iridescent shell glimmering like polished onyx as it moves with deliberate purpose through the rustling leaves of its beloved black locust trees. With a gentle, insistent rhythm, it drills into the tender bark, laying the foundations for a new generation, its life cycle inextricably linked to the fate of its host. As the seasons unfold, this unassuming insect weaves a subtle yet vital thread through the intricate tapestry of the forest ecosystem, its quiet industry a testament to the beauty of coexistence.

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