What caused the oval-shaped holes in this young pecan tree?
Oval-shaped holes created by a wood boring beetle.
Justin Ballew, ©2024, Clemson University
These oval-shaped holes were created by a wood boring beetle from either the Buprestidae or Cerambycidae families. Without seeing the beetle or larvae, it is impossible to say which. These beetles commonly attack stressed trees. Eggs are usually laid in cracks or crevices in the bark, and the larvae hatch and create shallow galleries packed with frass underneath the bark. It can be difficult to tell exactly what is stressing out an infested tree, though in this case, this tree was planted less than a year ago and never leafed out. It was certainly under transplant stress, making it a prime target for wood boring beetles.
