Elderberry
Guides
Desmocerus californicus dimorphus
Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle
Desmocerus californicus dimorphus is a federally threatened subspecies of longhorn beetle endemic to California's Central Valley. Adults display striking aposematic coloration with metallic blue bodies and orange elytral markings. The subspecies is sexually dimorphic, with males possessing notably longer antennae than females. It completes its entire life cycle in association with elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea), with larvae developing in living stems and roots. Detection has been substantially improved through the use of synthetic sex-attractant pheromones.
Schizomyia umbellicola
Elderberry Gall Midge
Schizomyia umbellicola is a gall midge in the family Cecidomyiidae that induces galls on elderberry (Sambucus species). The species was first described by Osten Sacken in 1878. As a member of the genus Schizomyia, it shares the characteristic biology of forming distinctive plant galls during larval development. The common name 'Elderberry Gall Midge' reflects its specific association with elderberry hosts.