Flatheaded borers are among the worst enemies of deciduous trees and shrubs. Damage is severe to young, newly transplanted trees. The larvae burrow underneath the bark, girdling the tree.
Borers pass the winter as partially grown larvae underneath the bark.
Adult borers are beetles with a metallic sheen. They begin to emerge in May, and various species emerge throughout the summer. Eggs are laid in bark wounds. Newly hatched borers eat through the bark to the cambium layer, where they feed. There is one generation each year.