Elderberry Borer

Desmocerus palliatus

The Elderberry Borer, ''Desmocerus palliatus'', is a species of Cerambycidae that occurs in Eastern North America.
Eastern elderberry borer mating pair Adult elderberry borers feed on leaves and pollen from the flower heads of elderberry, and female beetles lay their eggs near the base of the elderberry plant.  Upon hatching, the larvae bore into roots where they feed and develop on nutritious plant tissues. However, elderberry is chemically defended by potent cyanogenic glycosides, toxic compounds that are believed to be passed along from larvae to adults. A taste of these noxious chemicals during an attack may teach a predator that large dark blue and yellow insects are not to be included on the menu. 

Around 25 mm body length Coleoptera,Desmocerus palliatus,Elderberry Borer,Geotagged,Macro,Spring,United States,arthropod,cerambycidae,fauna,insect,invertebrate,long-horned beetle,longicorn beetle,pennsylvania

Appearance

The adult is 17 to 26 mm, mostly a shimmering dark blue, and the bases of the elytra are yellow to yellow-red. It is likely a mimic of beetles in the family Lycidae, as is the moth ''Lycomorpha pholus'' found in the same area.
Elderberry Borer This photo was taken in my garden in Kane PA. Desmocerus palliatus,Elderberry Borer,Geotagged,United States

Behavior

Eggs are laid near stems or at the base of the plant, the larvae then burrow their way into the stems and eat tunnels into the roots of the living plant. They can be seen between April and August.
;Adult food
⤷ Pollen
⟶ ''Sambucus''
;Larval food
⟶ ''Sambucus''

Habitat

It ranges from Oklahoma, central North America, to parts of the southern Appalachian mountains. They tend to be more abundant in the northern part of its range. They can be seen in swampy areas and near streams that support their host plant.

References:

Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.

Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderColeoptera
FamilyCerambycidae
GenusDesmocerus
SpeciesD. palliatus