The round-headed apple tree borer (Saperda candida) takes 2-3 years to complete its life cycle. Adult beetles are 1 inch long and brown, with two white longitudinal stripes on its back. Larvae overwinter in various stages feeding on sapwood and heartwood. Pupation occurs in late spring of the second year, and emergence begins in early summer. Females lay eggs under bark scales, in crevices, or in tree wounds. After hatching, the larvae feed beneath the bark for a while before entering the wood. Feed on dead or dying trees and rarely on healthy trees. Trees become weakened and heavy infestations can kill a tree in one season. Members of the rose family are favorite hosts of the round-headed apple tree borer. Found mostly in the eastern US and Canada. (Source: The Morton Arboretum)
Round-headed Apple Tree Borer Larva
 |
| Photo by James Solomon, USDA Forest Service |
To participate in Macro Monday and/or see other great macros on a variety of subjects, please click on the logo above.
An Inordinate Fondness is a celebration of beetles—of their indescribable beauty, amazing forms, and astonishing diversity. For a list a past, present and future An Inordinate Fondness blog carnivals, please click on the logo above.
.
