Species Megacyllene caryae - Hickory Borer

Painted Hickory Borer(1)

Megacyllene caryae (Gahan 1908)

10‒20 mm(1)

elytral bands typically narrow and alternating white & yellow(1); metepisternum with white or yellow pubescence divided at middle(2)

e.US (MA‒GA to WI‒KS‒TX) & ON; n.Mexico(2)(3)(4)

mainly Mar‒May but also Sep‒Nov in TX(5)(BG data)

larvae in newly dead hickory, and sometimes other hardwoods(1): Cercis canadensis, Gleditschia triacanthos (Caesalpiniaceae); Celtis (Cannabaceae); Quercus (Fagaceae); Carya, Juglans (Juglandaceae); Prosopis juliflora (Mimosaceae); Maclura pomifera, Morus rubra (Moraceae); Fraxinus americana (Oleaceae); Prunus (Rosaceae); Ulmus (Ulmaceae); Vitis (Vitaceae)(3)

univoltine; adults emerge in spring to lay eggs beneath bark scales on logs cut the previous winter; larvae feed for several weeks then bore into the sapwood and later the heartwood, and pupate in the fall at the end of larval mine behind a wad of fibrous frass; overwinter as pupae(6)

comes to lights(1)

M. robinae is active mainly Aug-Oct, is widely distributed, has all-yellow elytral markings, and metepisternum nearly completely covered in yellow pubescence(2)