The Cottonwood beetle, or borer (Plectrodera scalator) is a member of the long-horned beetle family (Cerambycidae) found across most of the eastern U.S. and westward to the Rocky Mountains. The adult beetles (pictured) usually eat the leaf stems and twigs of cottonwood trees, but will also eat willows and poplars. After mating in the summer, females chew small holes in the base of a tree to lay eggs. The larvae feed on the roots and bore into the heartwood of the tree. They take as long as two years to form pupae and then emerge as adults in the summer months. Mature cottonwood trees usually are not seriously damaged by cottonwood beetles.