Prionoxystus robiniae

Prionoxystus robiniae, the carpenterworm moth or locust borer, is a moth of the family Cossidae.^[1] It was first described by Peck in 1818 and it is found in southern Canada and most of the United States.

Female (left) and male (right)

Caterpillar

Prionoxystus robiniae
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Cossidae
Genus:	Prionoxystus
Species:	P. robiniae
Binomial name
Prionoxystus robiniae (Peck, 1818)
Synonyms
Cossus robiniae Peck, 1818 Xystus robiniae Cossus crepera Harris, 1834 Cossus plagiatus Walker, 1856 Xyleutes querciperda Packard, 1864 Xyleutes crepera Packard, 1864 Cossus reticulatus Lintner, 1878 Prionoxystus quercus Ehrmann, 1893 Cossus zabolicus Strecker, 1898 Prionxystus robinae Barnes & McDunnough, 1911 Prionoxystus mixtus Barnes & Benjamin, 1923 Prionoxystus subnigrus Barnes & Benjamin, 1923 Prionoxystus flavotinctus Barnes & Benjamin, 1923

The wingspan is 43–85 mm (1.7–3.3 in). Adults are on wing from May to July depending on the location.

The larvae feed on locust, oak, chestnut, poplar, willow, maple and ash. The species is considered a pest, because the tunnels the larvae create decrease the value of hardwood lumber.