Elm Borer

Elm borer beetle resting on rocks in a flower planter
Scientific Name
Saperda tridentata
Family
Cerambycidae (longhorned beetles) in the order Coleoptera (beetles)
Description

The elm borer is a longhorned beetle whose larvae bore galleries under the bark of elm trees. It is one of the insects that can transmit the fungus that causes Dutch elm disease, but it is not the fungus's main vector. The elm borer is in a large subfamily called the "flat-faced longhorns."

Adults are seen from May to August. The orangish markings on the adults are distinctive, as is the fine coating of grayish hairs on most of the body.

Learn more about this and other longhorned beetles on their family page.

Media Gallery
Elm borer beetle resting on rocks in a flower planter
The elm borer is a longhorned beetle whose larvae bore galleries under the bark of elm trees. It is one of the insects that can transmit the fungus that causes Dutch elm disease. The elm borer is in a large subfamily called the "flat-faced longhorns." Adults are seen from May to August.
Julianna Schroeder
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Elm borer beetle resting on rocks in a flower planter
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About Land Invertebrates in Missouri
Invertebrates are animals without backbones, including earthworms, slugs, snails, and arthropods. Arthropods—invertebrates with “jointed legs” — are a group of invertebrates that includes crayfish, shrimp, millipedes, centipedes, mites, spiders, and insects. There may be as many as 10 million species of insects alive on earth today, and they probably constitute more than 90 percent all animal species.