Apple Twig Borer – Amphicerus bicaudatus

Apple Twig Borer (Amphicerus bicaudatus)

Latin Name: Amphicerus bicaudatus

Common Name: Apple Twig Borer/ Grape Cane Borer

Appearance:

• Adults are 6 to 13 mm long and 1.2 to 3.5 mm broad, elongate, cylindrical beetle.
• Individuals are homogeneous in color, although beetles range from reddish-brown to dark chestnut brown to brownish-black to virtually black.
• Males have two little hornlike tubercles on the thorax and one smaller tubercle on the back of each elytron.
• Larva are White with brown mandibles and head, curled body, three pairs of thoracic legs, expanded thoracic segments; adult larva 10.2 mm long.

Host plants:

Apple, peach, plum, cherry, pear, apricot, ash, butternut, pecan, hickory, maple, grape, Osage-orange Although apple and grape trees appear to be preferred hosts, many other plants, particularly fruit and nut-producing trees, are resistant to attack.

Territory:

Throughout in United States

Damage caused by Apple Twig Borer:

Damage is being done by both the larvae and adults in different areas. Injured, sick, dying, and recently dead trees are the most common targets, although they will also bore into healthy live branches and vines for food and refuge. Plants healthy before the assault will begin to wilt, droop, and never appear as healthy as natural plants. Because the plant’s complete vascular system has not been damaged, these afflicted plants may not die right away; nonetheless, they will never catch up to the healthy plants.

Life history and Habits:

Adult activity occurs in the early spring and fall, although there is only one generation per year. Adults deposit their eggs in twigs and tiny branches’ bark. The larvae dig into the twig after hatching, typically directly to the pith, and tunnel along this path, leaving a frass trail (insect feces) behind them. The larvae develop and pupate within the larval tube in the fall. They may or may not mature into adults, but they normally hibernate inside the larval gallery in the winter. When winter arrives, some adults will emerge and then enter another cane. All adults will appear from March through May, and the cycle will be repeated.