Long-Horned Beetle

The long-horned beetle, shown here mating, is a pollinator during its adult stage. As a larva, it feeds on decaying wood.

This insect looks a bit like a bee but isn't at all related. Named for its extremely long antennae, which are often as long as its body, the long-horned beetle is a wood-boring insect while in its larval stage. Also called round-headed borers, the larvae overwinter in deciduous trees such as birch, poplar, oak and hickory, feeding on decaying wood. The adults feed on the nectar and pollen of a number of flowers, including viburnum, spirea, butterfly weed, yarrow, Queen Anne's lace, elderberry and some hydrangeas.