Subject: Ant-mimic Longhorned Beetle, Cyrtophorus verrucosus

Location: Upshur County, West Virginia

Stock Number: 05-0291

Comments: While this close-up image may not illustrate the point, from a distance these little beetles look just like ants, and their behavior micmics that of ants too.

The adults of this species are most often encountered in the Spring, when they are found basking on tree trunks, feeding at flowers, or attracted to lights.

The larvae usually feed on dead hardwood trees, but have been recorded from pine as well.