Bug FAQSphenostethus taslei
Sphenostethus taslei · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Cerambycidae
Its larvae bore into dry dead limbs of hardwoods such as oak, chestnut, redbud, and beech. Adults are rarely seen, but the larvae are common in those dead limbs.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Sphenostethus belongs to the longhorn beetle family, Cerambycidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs throughout the eastern United States, from Pennsylvania down to Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae use various hardwoods as hosts, including oak, chestnut, and redbud.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are rarely observed, while the larvae are common in dead treetop limbs.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 19 of 51 states and DC. Most records: North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Missouri, Maryland, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the larvae of Sphenostethus taslei eat?
They bore into dry dead limbs of hardwoods such as oak, chestnut, redbud, and beech.
Source: Wikipedia
Are adult Sphenostethus taslei commonly seen?
Adults are rarely seen, but the larvae are common in their dead-limb habitats.
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 maculataSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphenostethus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-29 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-29.