- Latin Name: Smodicum cucujiforme
- Latin Family Name: Cerambycidae
- Common Name: Flat Oak Borer
- Other Names: N/A
Origin:
This is a native species in the eastern United States.
Biology:
This beetle can be found commonly in the eastern half of the United States. It infests various kinds of hardwood trees such as oak, hickory, and maple, usually feeding in the dry heartwood of the tree. It also is known to infest hardwoods in storage or in structures, and thus becomes a potential re-infesting pest of wood, or it may also be built into the home with infested lumber. The female deposits eggs in crevices of exposed wood on dead trees or on lumber. The life cycle from egg to adult may be 1 or 2 years, depending on the region it occurs in.
Identification:
This is a small beetle for this family, with adults only about 3/8 inch long. They are elongate and narrow with the wings parallel sided, and have a flattened appearance from top to bottom. The color is a dull orange to reddish-brown. The antennae are long and the same color as the wings and thorax, but the first large segments of the legs (femur) are lighter colored and more yellowish-orange.
Characteristics Important to Control:
Since this beetle can re-infest hardwood materials in a structure it must be controlled. Since most hardwoods within structures are finished woods this may require fumigation of some kind, either small items removed to a dedicated chamber or a whole structure fumigation if the infestation is widespread, such as throughout hardwood flooring or cabinetry.
