Beetle collected on traveler's palms

A neotropical longhorn beetle was discovered for the first time on Florida’s mainland in fall 2006, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Trachyderes mandibularis has inhabited the Florida Keys for years, but a second population was found near Port Manatee.

The beetle is reported to breed in dead, dry branches of hardwoods including ficus, citrus, Parkinsonia and Salix, but many of the Florida Keys specimens were collected on the spathes of traveler’s palms. All of the mainland beetles were found on a wounded viburnum.

The beetle is black or brown and yellow-orange with very long, multicolored antennae. Adults are active during the day and most are found near wounded trees that are oozing sap.

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For more: FDACS, Division of Plant Industry, P.O. Box 147100 Gainesville, FL 32614-7100; (352) 372-3505, Ext. 0187; thomasm@doacs.state.fl.us.