Natural-pruning
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Oncideres cingulata
twig girdler, Eastern Twig Girdler
Oncideres cingulata, commonly known as the twig girdler, is a cerambycid beetle notable for its distinctive reproductive behavior where adult females girdle twigs of host trees to create larval habitat. The beetle is brownish-gray, 13–16 mm in length, with antennae 13–25 mm long. Adults are active in late summer and fall, and females cut through bark and wood of small branches (6–12.7 mm diameter) before laying eggs in the severed portion. Larvae develop within the fallen girdled twigs, feeding on woody tissue, and complete a single yearly generation. The species is economically significant as a pest of pecan plantations and other hardwood trees.