Longhorn Beetles

"Sharp-rumped Beetle", Neoclytus mucronatus

Longhorn beetles, characterized by their long antenna, are of the family Cerambycidae. Within this family, over 412 species have been identified in Texas, over 1000 species in North America, over 10,000 species in the Western Hemisphere, and close to 20,000 species worldwide. They can be found in a wide variety of habitats, but generally feed on dead, dying, or decayed wood if not living plant tissue. Those classified as girdlers will sever branches to allow larvae to develop within the distal portion of the branch. In the adult stage, their food preference ranges from flowers and sap, to bark and fungi, to no nourishment beyond water. A longhorn beetle may live anywhere between 1 to 3 years, but general spends most that time within the larval stage.