Girdled twigs usually break and fall. Activity and habits of the twig girdler in Alabama have been noted and recorded periodically over several years. The following is a description of the beetle, its habits, damage caused, and general seasonal cycle. They are found in the bark of twigs girdled by the female. They are distinctly segmented, and taper toward the rear.
Color is white to cream but becomes darker as pupae near the change to adulthood.
Most of this period is spent as larvae tunneling and feeding unheard and unseen in dead girdled twigs on the ground. Adults begin to appear during the first half of September, and are often present throughout much of the fall. They feed on live twigs of host trees. Damage from adult feeding is usually minor and often goes unnoticed. Several hours may be spent girdling a single twig and one female may girdle several.