Ambrosia-beetle-associate
Guides
Hylecoetus lugubris
Sapwood Timberworm Beetle
Hylecoetus lugubris is a ship-timber beetle (family Lymexylidae) native to North America. The species is currently classified as a synonym of Elateroides lugubris in some taxonomic databases, though iNaturalist maintains it under the genus Hylecoetus. Like other lymexylids, it is associated with dead or decaying wood, where larvae bore into hardwoods. The family is characterized by reduced elytra in some genera, though Hylecoetus species retain more typical beetle morphology compared to the highly modified Atractocerus. The common name 'Sapwood Timberworm Beetle' refers to its larval habit of tunneling in the sapwood of trees.