Bug FAQDorcacerus barbatus
Dorcacerus barbatus · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Cerambycidae
Adults are about 26 to 33 mm long, roughly one inch. They live in forested areas across many Central and South American countries, from Mexico down to Argentina. They feed on the legume Prosopis flexuosa and the weed Lantana camara, and are being studied as a possible biocontrol agent.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Male beetles have antennae that are longer than their bodies.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The species reaches a length of 26 to 33 mm (about 1.0 to 1.3 inches).
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It feeds on the leguminous tree Prosopis flexuosa and on the invasive shrub Lantana camara, and is considered for use in biological control.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes forests in the same list of Central and South American countries.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
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Questions people ask
What does Dorcacerus barbatus eat?
It eats the legume Prosopis flexuosa and the weed Lantana camara, and researchers are looking at it as a biocontrol agent.
Source: Wikipedia
How big does this beetle get?
Adults grow to about 26 to 33 mm in length, roughly one inch.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find this beetle?
It lives in forested areas across many countries from Mexico down through Central America to Argentina.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Cerambycidae)
House LonghornHylotrupes bajulusCan damage your home
Asian Longhorned BeetleAnoplophora glabripennisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Red Milkweed BeetleTetraopes tetrophthalmus
White-spotted SawyerMonochamus scutellatusCan damage your home
Red Pine Longhorn BeetleStictoleptura rubra
Spotted Longhorn BeetleRutpela maculataDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorcacerus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.