USDA UNM MSB A Resource for Wood Boring Beetles of the World
HOME   IDENTIFY FAMILY   FAMILY TOOL SEARCH   GEOGRAPHIC TOOL SEARCH   SELECT TOOL   ABOUT THE RESOURCE      
 

Family Tool Search

  Use the select menu to the left to view tools for a specific family or all families of wood boring beetles.


Longicorn ID: Tool for Diagnosing Cerambycoid Families, Subfamilies, and Tribes
  • Cerambycoid beetles include the large family Cerambycidae and three smaller families: Disteniidae, Oxypeltidae, and Vesperidae. Together, these families are a charismatic and economically important group of beetles with an estimated 4,000 genera and 35,000 described species worldwide. Longicorn ID provides identification support to the four families, 14 subfamilies, and 250 tribes. Hundreds of specimen photographs are available, including dozens of holotype specimens, making this tool particularly valuable for accurate identification. The most recent update (2017) adds a Lucid key and fact sheets to the larvae at the family and subfamily level.

  • Taxonomic scope: Cerambycidae

  • Geographic scope: World

  • Authors: Nearns, E.H., Lord, N.P., Lingafelter, S.W., Santos-Silva, A., Miller, K.B., and J.M. Zaspel

  • Release date: 2017
 



Cerambycoid Primary Types of the Smithsonian Institution
  • The Smithsonian Institution currently has over 2,100 primary types for Cerambycoidea (families Cerambycidae, Disteniidae, Oxypeltidae, and Vesperidae). Authors of these types include Aurivillius, Breuning, Casey, Chemsak, Dillon & Dillon, Fisher, Galileo, Gressitt, Kriesche, Lane, Linell, Lingafelter, Linsley, Martins, Melzer, Micheli, Monné, Nearns, Schaeffer, Schwarzer, Tippmann, and many others. The types represent fauna from over 30 countries from Afghanistan to Zaire, literally from A to Z, although emphasis is on the United States, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. We have set up the search page to allow users to find images of types by tribe, by country, by author, by original name, or by current name if different.

  • Taxonomic scope: Cerambycidae

  • Geographic scope: World

  • Authors: Lingafelter, S.W., M.A. Monné, and E.H. Nearns

  • Release date: 2014
 



Screening Aid for the Cerambycidae of the Western U.S.A.
  • This screening aid is not a comprehensive treatment of western North American Cerambycidae (roundheaded or longhorned wood borers). It is designed to enable efficient sorting and identification of the most abundant species found in wood boring insect trap samples from surveys conducted by the ODA and the USDA FS in the Pacific Northwest and the West over the past ten years. Several exotic pest species are also included. *This aid will be most reliable in the conifer forest regions west of the Rocky Mountains. It may not function well with species found in the desert West and east of the Rockies.

  • Taxonomic scope: Cerambycidae

  • Geographic scope: Nearctic

  • Authors: LaBonte, J.R., Valley, S.A., Vlach, J., Niwa, C.

  • Release date: 2013
 



Buprestidae of Texas with Notes on Texas Types
  • A photographic catalog of the metallic wood boring beetles of Texas.

  • Taxonomic scope: Buprestidae

  • Geographic scope: Nearctic

  • Authors: Quinn, M.

  • Release date: 2012
 



North American Xyleborini
  • The fungus-farming Ambrosia beetles of the tribe Xyleborini are becoming very important pests of forest and tree nurseries around the globe. Their very broad host range and their essentially clonal reproduction makes Xyleborini superbly adapted to today's world connected by human traffic. In the US alone, less than half of the 50 species of Xyleborini are native, and most of the exotic ones arrived less than 50 years ago. Because of the growing numbers of Xyleborini species in North America, and because of recent changes in their taxonomic classification, an updated tool for their identification is needed. Here we present a tool for identification of Xyleborini species known to occur in the US and Canada as of 2011.

  • Taxonomic scope: Curculionidae

  • Geographic scope: Nearctic

  • Authors: Hulcr, J.

  • Release date: 2012
 



Asian Longhorned Beetle
  • The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) is an exotic pest threatening a wide variety of hardwood trees in North America. Adults are large (0.75 - 1.50 inches long) with very long black and white banded antennae. The body is glossy black with irregular white spots. The beetle was introduced into New York City, Chicago and New Jersey, and is a serious pest of hardwood trees. Adults can be seen from late spring to fall depending on the climate. Learn more about it's biology, how to distinguish ALB from other native insects, and what trees it infests.

  • Taxonomic scope: Cerambycidae

  • Geographic scope: Nearctic, Neotropic

  • Authors: University of Vermont Entomology Research Lab

  • Release date: 2011
 



Ironclad ID: Tool for Diagnosing Ironclad and Cylindrical Bark Beetles (Coleoptera: Zopheridae) of North America north of Mexico
  • Ironclad ID is designed to aid in the identification of adult Ironclad and Cylindrical Bark Beetles, a large group of diverse, subcortical beetles in the family Zopheridae. This resource includes an interactive Key to Genera and Species, Genus Fact Sheets, species diagnoses, and hundreds of images to aid in the identification of Ironclad and Cylindrical Bark Beetles found in North America north of Mexico.

  • Taxonomic scope: Zopheridae

  • Geographic scope: Nearctic

  • Authors: Lord, N.P., E.H. Nearns, and K.B. Miller

  • Release date: 2011
 



Oncid ID: Tool for Diagnosing Adult Twig Girdlers (Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Onciderini)
  • Oncid ID is designed to aid in the identification of adult 'twig girdlers,' a large group of longhorned beetles which occurs from North America to Argentina. Members of this group are known to attack 57 different woody plant families, including many economically and agriculturally important species such as avocado, cocoa, coffee, guava, grape, peach, and pecan. Within their native range, trees attacked by these beetles are often severely damaged or killed. The potential introduction of exotic twig girdler species into the USA poses a serious risk to our native trees.

  • Taxonomic scope: Cerambycidae

  • Geographic scope: Nearctic, Neotropic

  • Authors: Nearns, E.H., N.P. Lord, and K.B. Miller

  • Release date: 2011
 



Bark and Ambrosia Beetles of Southeastern USA and Mexico
  • Until recently, this site has been mainly directed to a narrow audience of persons who are students of the bark and ambrosia beetles. Recent changes to the section on the Bark and Ambrosia Beetles of the Southeastern U.S., especially improvements in the way that images are linked to species and the addition of distribution maps has made that section more useful to a wider group of people. In the relatively near future I expect to start adding more information on biology and habits to continue expanding in this direction.

  • Taxonomic scope: Curculionidae

  • Geographic scope: Nearctic, Neotropic

  • Authors: Atkinson, T.H.

  • Release date: 2011
 



Bark Beetle Genera of the United States
  • Bark beetles (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) are significant members of forest ecosystems worldwide, and some species may cause significant damage to economically important trees, particularly conifers. While most species only attack trees that are already dead or dying, a number of species attack healthy, living trees causing potentially lethal damage. One well known example of this is the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae, which is currently destroying pine forests throughout the Mountain West.

  • Taxonomic scope: Curculionidae

  • Geographic scope: Nearctic

  • Authors: Mercado, J.E.

  • Release date: 2011
 



Xyleborini Ambrosia Beetles: An Identification Tool to the World Genera
  • Xyleborini is the most important and species-rich tribe of fungus-farming ambrosia beetles. They are one of the most frequently intercepted organisms at ports of entry, and produced more invasive pests than all other ambrosia beetle groups combined. Yet no comprehensive classification has been designated, and no usable tools for identification exist. To address the void of identification tools for Xyleborini, and to assure the utility of the recently published reclassification of the group for forestry, quarantine facilities, and researchers, the author of the new classification and the USDA-APHIS-PPQ-CPHST have joined forces in turning the classification into an online, richly illustrated, user friendly identification and information resource.

  • Taxonomic scope: Curculionidae

  • Geographic scope: World

  • Authors: Hulcr, J. and S.M. Smith

  • Release date: 2010
 



Beetles of the World
  • Beetles (order Coleoptera) are the most diverse and species-rich group of animals in the world. This fully-illustrated key allows users to identify adult beetles to the level of family, subfamily, and often to genus.

  • Taxonomic scope: Anobiidae, Bostrichidae, Brentidae, Buprestidae, Cerambycidae, Curculionidae, Lymexilidae, Oedemeridae, Zopheridae

  • Geographic scope: World

  • Authors: Lawrence, J.F., A.M. Hastings, A. Seago, and A. Slipinski

  • Release date: 2010
 



Wood Boring Beetle Families of the World
  • Wood Boring Beetle Families delimits family-level taxa (both adults and larvae) of Coleoptera known to be wood borer.

  • Taxonomic scope: Anobiidae, Bostrichidae, Brentidae, Buprestidae, Cerambycidae, Curculionidae, Lymexilidae, Oedemeridae, Zopheridae

  • Geographic scope: World

  • Authors: Cline, A.R., M.A. Ivie, C.L. Bellamy, and J. Scher

  • Release date: 2009
 



Bark Beetles of the Southeastern United States
  • Bark beetles can be a difficult group for identification. This tool is designed for first responders with minimal entomological training. It is also rigorous enough for entomology students and professionals. Numerous illustrations and a convenient glossary of terms should simplify some of the normal difficulties. The matrix design makes it possible for the user to choose the identification characters that are most visible or most familiar rather than being required to struggle with the authors' designated characters to work through the key. Sometimes only two or three characters are required, rather than 13-18 that might be needed in a normal dichotomous key.

  • Taxonomic scope: Curculionidae

  • Geographic scope: Nearctic

  • Authors: Baker, J.R., J. LaBonte, T. Atkinson, and S. Bambara

  • Release date: 2009
 



A Screening Aid for the Identification of the Walnut Twig Beetle, Pityophthorus juglandis Blackman
  • The walnut twig beetle (WTB), Pityophthorus juglandis Blackman (Scolytidae), is a small (~2 mm long) bark beetle native to the southwestern United States (AZ, CA and NM) and northern Mexico (Chihuahua). Recently, WTB has been linked to decline and death of walnut trees (Juglans) in several western states, including states outside its native range, e.g., CO and OR.

  • Taxonomic scope: Curculionidae

  • Geographic scope: Nearctic

  • Authors: LaBonte, J.R. and R.J. Rabaglia

  • Release date: 2008
 



Screening Aid to Separate Scolytinae Bark Beetles from other Similar Appearing Bark Beetles
  • Description text coming soon.

  • Taxonomic scope: Curculionidae

  • Geographic scope: Nearctic

  • Authors: Brown, B.

  • Release date: 2008
 



Bark and Wood Boring Beetles of the World
  • Information and images of economically important beetles that feed on cambium layer or wood of living or recently killed trees and shrubs, featuring 8320 images of 677 species from 38 countries.

  • Taxonomic scope: Buprestidae, Cerambycidae, Curculionidae

  • Geographic scope: World

  • Authors: Anonymous

  • Release date: 2008
 



Discriminating Agrilus sulcicollis Lacordaire from Agrilus cyanescens Ratzeburg
  • Agrilus sulcicollis Lacordaire is a medium sized exotic buprestid beetle first collected in Southeast Michigan in 2003. Native to Europe, A. sulcicollis oviposits in limbs and branches of oaks. Its similarity to other common Agrilus found in Michigan delayed the discovery for several years.

  • Taxonomic scope: Buprestidae

  • Geographic scope: Nearctic, Palearctic

  • Authors: Zablotny, J.E.

  • Release date: 2008
 



Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire Screening Aid
  • Members of the genus Agrilus are challenging to identify due to structural coloration and subtle morphological differences between species. Furthermore, the presence of newly discovered exotic Agrilus species in the Midwest and Ontario complicates identification issues and demands a renewed interest in applied taxonomy of Agrilus beetles.

  • Taxonomic scope: Buprestidae

  • Geographic scope: Nearctic, Palearctic

  • Authors: Zablotny, J.E.

  • Release date: 2008
 



Screening Aid for Eastern Scolytinae
  • This screening aid is not intended to replace a full course in the identification of Scolytinae nor is it a comprehensive treatment of the Scolytines of the eastern USA. It is intended to enable individuals responsible for sorting and identifying large volumes of wood boring insect trap samples to quickly and efficiently sort out the most common species encountered in samples from surveys in the eastern USA. This aid will be most reliable east of the Midwest and north of the southern edge of the U.S. (e.g., southern Florida).

  • Taxonomic scope: Curculionidae

  • Geographic scope: Nearctic

  • Authors: LaBonte, J.R., S.A. Valley, E.R. Hoebeke, and R.J. Rabaglia

  • Release date: 2008
 



Screening Aid for Western Scolytinae
  • This screening aid is not intended to replace a full course in the identification of Scolytinae nor is it a comprehensive treatment of the Scolytines of the western USA. It is a means by which individuals responsible for sorting and identifying large volumes of wood boring insect trap samples can quickly and efficiently sort out the most common species from similar surveys in the Pacific Northwest, and, to a lesser extent, the West in general. Specimens from other areas may not be addressed by the aid.

  • Taxonomic scope: Curculionidae

  • Geographic scope: Nearctic

  • Authors: LaBonte, J.R., S.A. Valley, and J.J. Vlach

  • Release date: 2008
 



Emerald Ash Borer Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) A guide to identification and comparison to similar species
  • The adult stage of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is fairly distinctive and usually easy to tell apart from most similarly colored and shaped buprestids and other insects by a trained taxonomist. However, many researchers and field workers currently sampling for EAB are not trained taxonomists, and might confuse some other similarly shaped or colored insects with EAB. The species included in this guide were chosen because of their relative commonness, similarity in size, shape and/or coloration to the EAB, and because specimens were available for photography in the A.J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection, at Michigan State University. Additional species, not included here, may be present in other parts of North America that could also potentially be confused with the EAB.

  • Taxonomic scope: Buprestidae

  • Geographic scope: Nearctic, Palearctic

  • Authors: Parsons, G.L.

  • Release date: 2008
 



Buprestidae: The beetle fauna of Germany
  • The jewel beetles (Buprestidae) are a very large family of very small to large species with beautiful glossy iridescent colors. Worldwide some 15,000 species in 450 genera have been scientifically described. The major centre of distribution is the tropical region. In Germany only 100 species are known to occur. The beetles are markedly thermophilic. In Germany many species are only found in relatively warm areas like the Upper-Rhine valley, where they reach the northern border of their distribution range. Adults and larvae are herbivorous and often strictly associated with their host plant.

  • Taxonomic scope: Buprestidae

  • Geographic scope: Palearctic

  • Authors: Benisch, C.

  • Release date: 2007
 



Cerambycidae: The beetle fauna of Germany
  • The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) are amongst the most "popular" beetle families and hence lots of research has been carried out on the family. The small to very large beetles are distributed worldwide (approx. 27,000 species). From Germany 195 species have been recorded. The beetles are characterized by their oblong body shape and their long antennae (family name!). The species feed on pollen or sap oozing from trees. The larvae develop on wood or herbaceous plants. Several are serious pests, with the larvae boring into wood, where they can cause extensive damage to either living trees or untreated lumber.

  • Taxonomic scope: Cerambycidae

  • Geographic scope: Palearctic

  • Authors: Benisch, C.

  • Release date: 2007
 



Curculionidae: The beetle fauna of Germany
  • The weevils (Curculionidae) are a very large family. With more than 60,000 scientifically described species worldwide, the weevils are the largest beetle family and the largest family in the animal kingdom. One out of five beetles and one out of 30 animals is a weevil. In Germany 780 species are known to occur. The phytophagous species are found on various plants. Often the weevil is strictly associated with a certain plant.

  • Taxonomic scope: Curculionidae

  • Geographic scope: Palearctic

  • Authors: Benisch, C.

  • Release date: 2007
 



Wood Boring Beetles
  • Besides bark beetles, two other common families of beetles use woody plants to rear their offspring. The Buprestidae have one common name for the adult - metallic wood borer - and a second for the larvae - flat-headed wood borers. Similarly, adult Cerambycidae are generally known as long-horned beetles, while larvae are called round-headed wood borers. Some species in both families prefer conifers as hosts while others use only broadleaf trees. Many species attack live but usually stressed trees, while others prefer recently dead hosts.

  • Taxonomic scope: Buprestidae, Cerambycidae

  • Geographic scope: Neotropic

  • Authors: Sutherland, Carol A.

  • Release date: 2006
 



Cerambycidae Holotypes of the Museu de Zoologia Universidade de São Paulo
  • The MZSP currently has over 900 primary types for Cerambycidae. Authors of these types include Bruch, Dias, Fonseca-Gessner, Galileo, Gounelle, Hovore, Lane, Linsley, Martins, Melzer, Mendes, Monné, Napp, Santos-Silva, Tavakilian, Zajciw, Zikán, and others. The types are predominantly of the Neotropical fauna. We have set up the search page to allow users to find images of types by tribe, by country, by author, by original name, or by current name if different.

  • Taxonomic scope: Cerambycidae

  • Geographic scope: Neotropic

  • Authors: Martins, U.R., M.A. Monné, M.L. Monné, S.W. Lingafelter, C.J. Micheli, and E.H. Nearns

  • Release date: 2006
 



Cerambycidae Holotypes of the Museu Nacional Rio de Janeiro
  • The MNRJ currently has nearly 1,000 primary types for Cerambycidae. Authors of these types include Bosq, Delfino, Fragoso, Galileo, Giorgi, Huedepohl, Julio, Lane, Magno, Marinoni, Martins, Mermudes, M.A. Monné, M.L. Monné, Napp, Santos-Silva, Tavakilian, Tippmann, Zajciw, and many others. The types are predominantly of the Neotropical fauna. We have set up the search page to allow users to find images of types by tribe, by country, by author, by original name, or by current name if different.

  • Taxonomic scope: Cerambycidae

  • Geographic scope: Neotropic

  • Authors: Monné, M.A., M.L. Monné, S.W. Lingafelter, C.J. Micheli, and E.H. Nearns

  • Release date: 2006
 



Screening Aids for Exotic Bark Beetles in the Northeastern United States
  • These screening aids were simplified by restricting the species treated to native bark beetles that are from a limited geographic area (i.e., the Northeastern Region) and are similar to the exotic target. The keys, in particular, may not be useful for screening survey samples from outside the northeaster U.S.

  • Taxonomic scope: Curculionidae

  • Geographic scope: Nearctic

  • Authors: Cavey, J., Passoa, S. and D. Kucera

  • Release date: 2006
 



Cerambycidae of Florida
  • This photographic atlas of the Cerambycidae of Florida grew directly out of efforts at the Florida State Collection of Arthropods in the past few decades to document the arthropod fauna of the state, and especially out of the Florida beetle checklist by Stewart Peck and the senior author.

  • Taxonomic scope: Cerambycidae

  • Geographic scope: Nearctic

  • Authors: Thomas, M.C., S. Hill, R.F. Morris, E.H. Nearns

  • Release date: 2005
 



A Photographic catalog of the Cerambycidae of the World
  • The purpose of this photographic catalog of the Cerambycidae of the New World is to provide images that will assist in the identification of longhorn beetles. Many species of longhorn beetles are invasive and authoritative identifications are necessary to initiate regulatory actions. It is hoped that the images in this catalog will in part provide information to identifiers to make their jobs easier. Familiarity with the New World fauna is critical to understanding the distribution of invasive species. Cerambycid workers are fortunate that in many instances a dorsal image of these beetles is distinctive.

  • Taxonomic scope: Cerambycidae

  • Geographic scope: World

  • Authors: Bezark, L.G.

  • Release date: 2005
 



Longhorn Beetles (Cerambycidae) of the West Palearctic Region
  • Regularly updated photo-gallery containing over 650 West Palaearctic taxa. This website contains details on biology of selected species, information on host plants of several species, and various expedition reports.

  • Taxonomic scope: Cerambycidae

  • Geographic scope: Palearctic

  • Authors: Hoskovec, M. and M. Rejzek

  • Release date: 1997
 








 
 
 
  SITE LAST MODIFIED: 9 January 2018