The peachtree borer is common in young nonbearing trees or in unmanaged plantings, while the lesser peachtree borer is common in large managed orchards. In this fact sheet, information that distinguishes peachtree borer from lesser peachtree borer is italicized. Borers can kill young trees when trunks are girdled by feeding. Borers feed on the growing inner bark of trees, and tunnel between the inner bark and the sapwood. The bark eventually peels off of damaged areas.
Damage weakens the tree and predisposes it to attack by other pests and diseases.
A gummy mass mixed with sawdust is usually found on the outer bark at the place where a borer started an attack. Entries are often found where there are cankers or wounds caused by other factors such as winter injury. The adult peachtree borers are moths that looks more like wasps than moths. The male is 18 to 33 mm long, the transparent portions of his wings are strongly tinged with yellow, and at least 3 to 4 narrow bands of yellow are usually visible on the abdomen. Eggs are small, oval, reddish brown, and hard.