Twig-girdler
Guides
Lochmaeocles cornuticeps
Lochmaeocles cornuticeps is a longhorned beetle (family Cerambycidae) described by Schaeffer in 1906. It belongs to the tribe Onciderini, a group known for including twig-girdling species. The species occurs in North America and Middle America, with recognized subspecies distributed across different regions including the southwestern United States. Like other members of its tribe, it is associated with woody host plants and has been reared from girdled branches.
Oncideres
Twig Girdling Beetles, Twig Girdlers
Oncideres is a genus of longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) containing over 120 species distributed throughout the Nearctic and Neotropics. These beetles are commonly known as twig girdlers due to the distinctive behavior of females chewing around branches to cause them to break and fall. The larvae develop within the girdled, decomposing wood. Several species are economically significant pests of fruit trees, pecans, and forest trees, while others play roles in ecosystem engineering by altering host plant population structure.
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.
Oncideres pustulata
Coastal Huisache Girdler
Oncideres pustulata is a species of longhorn beetle in the family Cerambycidae, described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1854. It is distributed across Mexico and the southern United States. The species is a twig girdler, with larvae that develop within girdled branches of host plants in the genera Leucaena and Prosopis. It is known to feed on Leucaena leucocephala, Leucaena pulverulenta, Prosopis alba, and Prosopis chilensis.
Oncideres rhodosticta
Mesquite Girdler
Oncideres rhodosticta is a twig-girdling longhorn beetle (Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) native to the southwestern United States and Mexico. Adults emerge in late summer (August–September) and feed on mesquite foliage. Females engage in distinctive girdling behavior, chewing complete rings through the bark and cambium of living mesquite twigs to create oviposition sites in the dying distal portions. Larvae develop within the dead twigs, completing a one-year life cycle. The species is economically significant as a pest of mesquite in rangeland and agricultural settings.