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Beetles (Wood-Boring)
Latin Name: Arhopalus productus
Common Name: New House Borer
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
This beetle is a native insect in western North America.
Biology:
The common name of this beetle is a possible cause of confusion with the unrelated “Old” house borer that is found in the eastern U.S. The “New” house borer is a western species found from Canada south to California and most western states, and it feeds only on dead or dying trees. However, because lumbering practices often salvage trees recently killed by fire or bark beetles the New house borer may be present in lumber used in construction. Females deposit eggs only on the bark of a standing tree or a log, and do not reinfest structures once they have emerged. It takes 2 years for the larva to complete its growth in the wood, but once the wood dries the larva cannot survive. Only those larvae that are nearly full grown and can pupate will survive in the milled lumber,
Latin Name: Hylotrupes bajulus
Common Name: Old House Borer
Latin Family Name: Cerambycidae
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
Apparently native to Europe, where it may infest up to 50% of the homes in some areas. It now is found on most continents of the world including North America, where it is found along the eastern seaboard states from at least New York, south and along the Gulf Coast to Texas. It may be found as far west as Minnesota and in many other states east of the Mississippi River.
Biology:
This is one of the only members of its family which, in the United States, will re-infest structural wood members. Other species are only present if they were in lumber used in the construction. The Old house borer feeds on coniferous woods such as fir or pine, and will attack dry, seasoned woods, in older houses as well as new, although newer wood is preferred by the beetles. It usually will be built in with
Latin Name: Trichocnemis spiculatus
Common Name: Pine Sawyer
Other Names: Timberworm, Ponderous beetle
Pest Details
Origin:
This is a native beetle in western North America.
Biology:
This is one of the largest beetles in North America and is common is western states, with Ergates spiculatus the more common of the two species in the genus. It feeds on only dead trees, the females depositing eggs on the bark shortly after a conifer dies. The larva may require 5 years or longer to complete its development and become the adult beetle, giving it plenty of time to end up in lumber salvaged from trees killed by fires. It is not uncommon, then for these enormous beetles to emerge from pine boards such as wall studs or sub-flooring, easily boring through any other materials between them and the outside world. They cannot re-infest structural wood, but large numbers may cause loss of structural integrity in load-bearing wood. They
Latin Name: Platypus sp.
Common Name: Platypodid Ambrosia Beetle
Latin Family Name: Platypodidae
Other Names: Pin-hole borers
Pest Details
Origin:
Native to North America, with only one genus in the family in the U.S.
Biology:
This is a beetle of minor importance to structural wood members, and it is only one of the beetles often called “ambrosia” beetles, a name derived from the fact that the larvae actually feed on ambrosia fungus that grows in the wood, having been introduced by the ovipositing female beetle. As the fungus grows and the larvae feed on it the tunnels in the wood are stained dark blue, black, or brown. These beetles, along with the other ambrosia beetles in the family Scolytidae, are destructive to living trees, but do not survive in structural wood members and will not re-infest. Their presence there is only due to the use of infested lumber.
Identification:
The adult beetles are about ¼ inch
Latin Name: Monochamus sp.
Common Name: Sawyers
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
There are 8 native species of these beetles in North America and the one introduced species from Japan, which is known from only a very few locations in the U.S.
Biology:
This is a group of 8 species in North America, and some of these may be seen commonly during summer days as they fly in open areas of woodlands. They feed on dead conifers and are important in the decomposition and recycling of these dead trees. One non-native species, the Japanese Pine Sawyer, is known to carry a nematode that causes pine wilt, so this one can cause damage to non-native pines. Otherwise the beetles are harmless to forest or landscape trees.
Identification:
Most of the species have adult beetles about ¾ to 1 inch long and with very long, narrow antennae, the antennae of the males often twice or more the length of the beetle. The color
Latin Name: Micromalthis debilis
Common Name: Telephone Pole Beetle
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
There is this single species of beetle in this family, and it is native to North America.
Biology:
The larvae of these tiny beetles feed within decaying wood, occasionally attacking pilings and other structural lumber that is in damp and poor condition. Their life cycle is quite unusual, with almost all of the individuals found in wood females, either in the larval stage, the adult beetle stage, or as an adult “larviform” female that never changes to the beetle appearance. These females may give birth to living larvae themselves.
Identification:
These are extremely tiny beetles, only about 1-2 mm long. They have soft wing covers that are elongate and with parallel sides, and are short, leaving the last few abdominal segments exposed from above. The prothorax is much narrower than the front of the wing covers and tapers
Latin Name: Lyctus spp.
Common Name: True Powderpost Beetles
Latin Family Name: Bostrichidae
Other Names: True powder-post beetle. A number of common species of Lyctus beetles occur in North America.
Pest Details
Origin:
Species of powder-post beetles occur in many countries throughout the world, easily being transported in infested wood products.
Biology:
It is believed that Lyctus species feed only on hardwoods and not softwoods such as the conifers. They feed primarily in the sapwood of the tree where the starch content is highest, and starch may be the principal food of the larvae. Adults do not feed. Bamboo and wicker products also are commonly attacked. Infested products within a structure may be re-infested for many generations of the beetles, eventually reducing the wood to little more than dust, and potentially moving into other susceptible wood products around them. In an outdoor environment
Latin Name: Prionus sp.
Common Name: Western Pine Beetle
Latin Family Name: Cerambycidae
Other Names: Western pine beetle, pine sawyer
Pest Details
Origin:
Native beetles in North America.
Biology:
These huge beetles attack primarily dead trees, and they are some of the first insects to enter a dead tree to begin the decomposition process. There are also reports of infestations in power poles, as well as the common occurrence of them in structural wood members, where their presence is due to infested lumber used in the construction. They will not re-infest structural wood members once they emerge as adults. Conifers are the woods infested, and the larval stage may easily take several years to complete, with up to 7 years possible. Once they emerge as the adult beetle they will bore through any material between them and the light they seek, including sheetrock, paneling, linoleum, or tile. Adults are attracted
Latin Name: Nacerdes melanura
Common Name: Wharf Borer
Latin Family Name: Oedemeridae
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
Introduced from Europe and now found uncommonly throughout much of North America, particularly along waterfront areas. The beetles prefer to invade extremely wet wood materials, as may be found along waterways.
Biology:
The wharf borer are not a pest problem in dry, sound wood, but is found in older buildings as well as wooden support beams and pilings under them, where they can cause extensive damage. Where buildings are constructed over older sites where wood is buried in the ground the beetles may be present, or buildings with wood foundations, wood basement walls, or concrete over wood slabs on the ground. The adult beetles emerge within a pupa chamber in the wood, mate immediately after emerging, and then move toward whatever light they detect, often coming up into buildings in large numbers. The
Latin Name: Euophryum sp.
Common Name: Wood-Boring Weevils
Latin Family Name: Curculionidae
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
Probably native to the United States, but now found in many countries due to its transport in infested materials.
Biology:
Several species of weevils may be found in wood, normally feeding only on damp, decayed woods and not seasoned, dry woods. There may be 2 generations each year, with feeding in both softwoods and hardwoods, but because of their need for dampness and fungi in the wood they are not serious pests in most structural wood members. Both adults and larvae feed within the wood.
Identification:
As a weevil they are easily identified by the presence of an elongated “snout” in front of the head, with their jaws located at the end of the snout. The antennae arise from in front of the eyes on the snout, and they have a distinct elbow or bend on them. The adult beetle is only