As adults, Cerambycidae are commonly referred to as the longhorn beetles, longhorned beetles, or longicorn beetles and are named because of their long antennae. Larvae of Cerambycidae are called roundheaded wood borers and are the culprits of most of the damage done by this group.

Roundheaded wood borers can:

Girdle trees
Weaken branches and stems
Degrade logs for lumber or pulp
Introduce stain fungi that degrades lumber and may contribute to tree death
Vector pathogens

Roundheaded wood borer larvae in pine wood. The head is to the upper right. Photo by William M. Ciesla, Forest Health Management International, Bugwood.org

Larvae are white legless grubs with soft cylindrical bodies. The head area is less distinct and primarily consists of the mouthparts.

Similar larvae found in wood include the flatheaded wood borers. The larvae can be distinguished by the very broad segment immediately behind the head.

: A flatheaded wood borer larvae. The head is very small and on the upper left with the enlarged segment immediately behind it. Photo by Gerald J. Lenhard, Louisiana State University, Bugwood.org

A roundheaded borer larvae. The head is on the left and still quit small, but the segment immediately behind the head is not as distinctly enlarged as in the flatheaded borers. Photo by Pest and Diseases Image Library, Bugwood.org

Adults are elongate and cylindrical beetles. They can be very brightly colored, or they can be more drab and indistinct. The antennae are frequently as long as or longer than the body.

Longhorn beetle, the adult form of a roundheaded wood borer. Photo by Natasha Wright, Cook’s Pest Control, Bugwood.org

Roundheaded wood borers are found in weakened, dead, or dying trees; though some are known to attack otherwise healthy trees. Adults chew round to oval-shaped exit holes. The size and shape of an exit hole can help determine what kind of wood borer may be present.

exit holes in comparison to dime size are slightly smaller

Exit holes chewed by an adult longhorn beetle. Holes are more or less round but can be oval shaped. Photo by Richard Hoebeke, Cornell University, Bugwood.org