Derobrachus geminatus

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Derobrachus geminatus

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Family:	Cerambycidae
Subfamily:	Prioninae
Genus:	Derobrachus
Species:	D. geminatus

Binomial name

Derobrachus geminatus
LeConte, 1853 ^[1]

Derobrachus geminatus, known variously as the Palo Verde beetle, Palo Verde root borer, or Palo Verde borer beetle, is a longhorn beetle native to the American Southwest and to northern Mexico. It is one of the largest beetles in North America.

The hatch from eggs into grubs, which live underground for as much as three years. They are cream colored to pale green, typically with a brown headcap. The grubs feed on the roots of the Palo Verde tree, causing dieback. As they mature they leave the ground through exit holes around the roots of the tree.

Mature borer beetles look like a large cockroach. They can grow to three inches, have long antennae, and spines on the thorax which form a collar around the "neck" of the beetle. They range from brown to black in color. They have wings and can fly, albeit awkwardly at times. The adults lay eggs in the soil. Adult beetles come out in the summer time, especially in the early evening when attracted by outside lighting.