Eastern Twig Girdler

Also known as Twig Girdler, Pecan Twig Girdler

Eastern twig girdlers are remarkable wood-boring beetles known for their precise pruning behavior. In late summer and autumn, female beetles use their sharp mandibles to chew a deep, continuous groove around living hardwood branches before laying eggs inside the dying tip. This girdling stops the flow of sap, creating the dry, dead wood required for the larvae to hatch, feed, and safely overwinter until spring emergence.