Long-Horned Beetles

Family Cerambycidae

Elderberry longhorn (Desmocerus palliatus). Photo:Stephanie Boucher

Most adults feed on pollen, flowers, leaves, bark and wood. The larvae are phytophagous (plant-eating) and burrow in wood.The adults lay their eggs in cracks in the bark, and the larvae will bore into the wood due to their powerful jaws that enable them to cut through wood. Some larvae live in the heartwood of trees, others in stems of herbaceous plants and some attack wood of frame buildings. Many species are very destructive in forest, fruit trees and freshly cut logs. Many long-horned beetles especially the dark coloured species are nocturnal and are attracted to lights. Cerambycidae are easy recognizable due to their long antennae, usually longer than the body. Most species are elongated and cylindrical and many are brightly coloured. The larvae are white or yellowish, elongated, and almost legless.