Bug ID: 6/26/2012

[perfectstorm]

What is this?

Found in palm tree in back of yard near Beaumont. I tweezed 2 of them out of the palm tree where they were burrowing holes. GGRRRRR Could only find 2 of them. Put a water hose up to the holes & tried to flood out any more. Didn't find anymore.

How do I kill/eradicate?

[perfectstorm]

Very tuff little clampers on the front of this guy. Seems like this was the only tree they were in.

[LastHurrah]

Baby chupy?

[jerp]

Man, if they can chew holes in a tree trunk with those chompers I'd hate for one to latch on to my finger!

[stickerpatch59]

woodpecker beetle???

[rubydog]

Palm beetle?

[bowhunter45]

the 5th beetle

[RutnBuk]

We have the exact same bug destroying a pecan tree in our backyard. We have tried to flood it out, poison it, burn it out, and nothing has worked.

[Chief Yote]

I think they are wood beetles

[jefandaward]

Looks like you have a Southern Pine Beetle. If you can figure out how to treat for them, you will be a very rich man. They are destroying habitat like crazy in Colorado.

[Target-panic]

WoodWorm Beetle would be my guess.

[SaltwaterSlick]

Sure looks like a Pine Borer like we have in East Texas, or a plain old Betsy Bug. Either way, those generally only attack dead trees... could be your tree is not healthy and that is attracting the bugs. Heck, I'd spray some "bug spray" in the holes at least.

[John Paul]

Had always heard they were called Rhino Beetles.. Tough bugger anyway.,.

[perfectstorm]

Dang it. It's not looking good and now I see larvae. I am going to inject caulk into the trunk. Will let you know what that does...

[refugioco]

I first thought he was a stag beetle because of the pincers, but the antennae make him a Cerambycid type beetle specifically a Hardwood Stump borer beetle.
CATEGORY: Beetle
COMMON NAME: Hardwood Stump Borer Beetle
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Mallodon dasytomus

TAXONOMY:
KINGDOM: Animalia
PHYLYM: Arthropoda
CLASS: Insecta
ORDER: Coleoptera
FAMILY: Cerambycidae
GENUS: Mallodon
SPECIES: dasytomus

CHARACTERISTICS: Large thick pincers (jaws) on the males are quite intimidating. This species is usually found in tree stumps or structural wood, but have been known to live in trees that have not been cut down.

Males have larger, thicker mouth parts than females. They also have a longer, more slender body, while females are rounder.