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Insect Identification > Description of the Cottonwood Borer
 

Details of the Cottonwood Borer

CATEGORY:
Beetle

COMMON NAME:
"Cottonwood Borer"

SCIENTIFIC NAME:
(Plectrodera scalator)

TAXONOMY:
(View Orders)
Kingdom: Animalia
  Phylum: Arthropoda
   Class:Insecta
    Order: Coleoptera
     Family: Cerambycidae
      Genus: Plectrodera
       Species: scalator


CHARACTERISTICS: The Cottonwood Borer is part of the larger Long-Horned Beetle family that makes its way throughout the summertime months destroying trees. They are very identifiable by their long antennae which are often times longer than the body.
With over 1,200 North American long-horned beetles categorized, the Cottonwood Borer is just one of many to study. These particular borers live river banks and fancy the woods of poplar and cottonwood trees. The larvae of the species are more known to destroy trees and logs by reducing the inside wood to sawdust.

Once past the larval stage, the adult Borer is on the hunt for trees. They attack the bases of their targeted trees and will slowly work their way up to the branches and ultimately the leaves. Eventually, these boring beetles can completely decimate series of trees sometimes covering neighborhood blocks if they are not held in check.


ADULT SIZE (Length, not including legs):
25mm to 38mm (0.98in to 1.50in) (Compare Size)

IDENTIFYING COLORS: black; yellow; white

North American Reach
Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Delaware, Rhode Island, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, West Virginia, Kansas, Texas, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Washington
 
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Picture of Cottonwood Borer
Courtesy of Josh T

     

 

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