Longhorn Beetles

     Here in Oklahoma we have a fair amount of trees, shrubs, and other hardwood plants. And, if you have these plants in your yard or go hiking in the forest, you're likely to see Long-horned beetles, or beetles in the Cerambycidae family. These beetles are named for their very long antennae, which can look like "horns" when you look at them from the top. Male beetles often have longer antennae than females, and in some groups the males actually put one of each antennae around the sides of a female and follow behind her to "guard" her from other potential suitors.

Example of a Long Horn beetle's long antennae. Image from Wikipedia.com (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Longicorn_beetle_-_ancita_sp.jpg/800px-Longicorn_beetle_-_ancita_sp.jpg)

       Long-horned beetles are very diverse, and are nearly always associated with trees or logs since their larvae bore into wood. The adult beetles, as seen here, gnaw into wood with their tough mandibles (mouth parts) to make areas in trees or logs for their eggs. Long-horned beetles can be very large, with some of the largest beetles on recorded on earth belonging to this group (some as big as your hand!), to small and fitting the area of a pencil eraser. Almost all, though, have antennae that are at least as long as their wings, have the antennae come out of their heads right next to their eyes (sometimes taking up the area of their eyes, called emarginated eyes), and sometimes with large, fuzzy "feet" (tarsomeres).

Some diversity of Arkansas and Oklahoman long horn beetles

     Some of the most commonly seen and attractive long horn beetles in Oklahoma is the Cottonwood Borer, which as a larvae feeds on the wood of cottonwood trees. They can be up to an inch and a half long, and have an attractive white and black pattern on their wings. Even though they look fearsome with their spines and size, they are perfectly harmless and unlikely to harm you.

Cottonwood Borers (black and white), and other long horn beetles

     There are also Long-horned beetles that are not originally from the United States that were brought over here accidentally that are serious problems to our trees and lumber industry. One of the biggest problems is the Asian Long-horned Beetle, which is originally from China. This beetle is thought to have been brought over here from wood pallets or other wood shipping material, and since being brought over has killed thousands of trees on the East Coast. Most trees in the United States have evolved with our native Long-horned beetles for millions of years, so they have built up defenses against them and are not often killed by the beetles when they are attacked. However, with this foreign beetle, our trees do not have those defenses to protect themselves, and often die. Thankfully we haven't really seen it here in Oklahoma [yet], but it has been a big problem in other states (for more information about the beetle, check out the wikipedia page on it here).

Asian long-horned beetle. Image from Wikipedia.com (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Asian_longhorned_beetle.jpg)

       So, if you see a beetle out in Oklahoma with really long antennae, its probably a member of the Long-horned beetle group. If its big, white and black, its probably a native Cottonwood borer and part of the natural environment of Oklahoma. However, if you see a big, black, Long-horned beetle like the one above with white spots...please let us know, because it could be a big problem!
         Have a great weekend everyone!