Twig Girdler (Oncideres cingulata)

Twig girdlers are beetles that emerge from late September to October and girdle limbs from 6-18 mm in diameter. The cut encircles the twig and is seldom complete, leaving a jagged edge in the center upon breaking off. They also can remove large patches of bark while feeding. Preferred host trees are the pecan, hickory, persimmon, elms, and hackberry. If populations are high they attack oaks, and sometimes fruit trees.

    Twig Girdler

Description: Cylindrical, longhorn beetle with grayish-brown body and a broad ash gray band across the elytra. Eggs are elongate to oval, 2.5 mm long, and white. Pupa are legless grubs that reach 16-25 mm at maturity.

Biology: In Autumn, females girdle branches to provide a suitable medium for larval growth. Females insert 3-8 eggs into the bark or slightly into the wood of each girdled twig. The eggs hatch in three weeks but grow little until spring. Larvae feed inside the twig and emerge in the fall. The adults live 6-10 weeks and females lay from 50- 200 eggs each.

Control: Remove fallen twigs and stems from the ground and burn them to destroy the larvae. Imidacloprid will control certain borers. Although less effective, permethrins can be applied every three weeks as a barrier.