However, the Palo Verde Root Borer (Derobrachus geminatus) is actually harmless, and unlike the scorpion, they do not sting, despite their long antennae, 3- to 3.5-inch size, and spiny collars. These beetles are first larvae that gnaw through the roots of the Palo Verde trees. Palo Verde root borers are a type of beetle in the Longhorn family. 10 of 18 people found this answer helpful. These things are REPULSIVE and HUGE... up to 5" long... and very hard to kill. They are most active during the early evenings and are attracted to lights, so during their mating season, you may find them on your porch looking forlornly for other Palo Verde beetles to mate with. They won't try to get into your home, but might end up there if the light attracts them. Palo Verde Beetles – Got Beetles? They have long antennae and mandibles that can give a startling pinch. The Palo Verde Root Borer (Derobrachus geminatus), more commonly known as the Palo Verde Beetle, may look terrifying but it is harmless to humans. Some of my Palo Verde trees are being attacked by Palo Verde Root Borers. Palo verde trees are not known for having a large number of diseases that threaten them, but it is often insect pests that put the tree’s health at risk. They call Arizona … It's so romantic ... particularly if you're a 5-inch long palo verde beetle. It’s Spring time here in Phoenix and that means it is time to prune your blooming palo verde trees. They're enormous and they're ugly, but the Palo Verde beetles are very misunderstood insects. Bifen IT is not meant to be a fast knockdown product and usually takes several hours to kill insects. If you’ve lived in Arizona long enough, then chances are you’ve seen a Palo Verde beetle or two – or more, since they come out by the hundreds of thousands between July and August. The larval stage can last up to three years. Well, kind of. Garden sage: Problems with gnats; splitting oranges; palo verde blotches Updated Feb 15, 2016 Answers to your questions on bugs and gardening in Southern Arizona. The Palo Verde root borer beetle, so-called because as grubs they especially enjoy munching on distressed roots of the Palo Verde tree, look like burlier cousins of the cockroach and can grow to around 3 to 3.5 inches long, making it one of the largest beetles in North America. Perhaps because it's easy to mistake the Palo Verde Beetle for a cockroach, newcomers, and visitors to the Phoenix area are sometimes horrified when they get their first glimpse of this huge, flying bug. Yes Palo verde root borers (Derobrachus geminatus) are dark brown to black beetles in the longhorn family (Cerambycidae) that are usually 3- to 4 inches long. The palo verde beetle (also palo verde root borer) is one of the largest beetles in North America. The Palo Verde Beetle might look like a giant cockroach to many people, and it's seen most often in the Phoenix area desert during the summer. I recommend using a certified arborist so the quality of the work is more or less guaranteed. Apparently people in Arizona are freaking out over large, cockroach-looking bugs that have arrived with the monsoon. I showered one with Bifen I/T and it just sat there seemingly enjoying it. The tree service company is doing another treatment this Monday. Derobrachus geminatus, or palo verde beetle, is native to the American Southwest and northern Mexico. They’re dark brown to black in color and are between three to four inches long on average. Paloverde Root Borers, as evidenced by their unusually long antennae, are members of the Longhorn Beetle Family (Cerambycidae), and like many other longhorn beetles, they are quite destructive. More so, Palo Verde Beetles have comparably harder shells and longer bodies than cockroaches. 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