Fun Brown Prionid Beetle Facts For Kids

The brown prionid beetle (Orthosoma brunneum) is a beetle species of the longhorn family Cerambycidae. The brown prionid beetle is brown or red-colored. They inhabit most decaying wood and logs.

This beetle is the only beetle in the Orthosma genus. Orthrosoma genus name was used for genus microsporidian. As this name was preoccupied, microsporidian was changed to Orthosomella.

The brown prionid beetle is attracted to lights and baits. They can grow up to 0.98-1.9 in (25-50 mm).

These beetles are often confused with Asian long-horned beetles. The brown prionid beetles are native species even though they belong to the family of longhorn beetle. There have been reports of this species breeding in utility poles and railroad ties.

These beetles occur throughout the United States. The development mode of brown prionides is holometabolous, and these species feed on rotting wood. They are prey species to Alaus oculatus (Eyed Elater) of the click beetles.

If you liked these facts about the brown prionid beetle (Orthosoma brunneum), then you need to check out some Bombardier beetle and click beetle facts on Kidadl.

Brown Prionid Beetle Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a brown prionid beetle?

The brown prionid beetle is a type of long-horned borer beetle of the order Coleoptera, Phylum Arthropoda, and the family Cerambycidae. These beetles are also classified into the Prioninae subfamily and tribe Prionini.

What class of animal does a brown prionid beetle belong to?

The brown prionid beetle (Orthosoma brunneum) is a type of beetle of class insects of animals.

How many brown prionid beetles are there in the world?

The population number of Orthosoma brunneum in the world is not known.

Where does a brown prionid beetle live?

Orthosoma brunneum is widely found in North America. The brown prionid beetle range of habitat of the Orthosoma brunneum spreads across the United States.

What is a brown prionid beetle's habitat?

The range of brown prionid beetle (Orthosoma brunneum) has been reported to spread across moist decaying wood. The brown prionid beetle habitat range also includes logs and decaying tres.

Who do brown prionid beetles live with?

The brown prionid longhorn beetle lives and migrates in groups.

How long does a brown prionid beetle live?

The lifespan of  Orthosoma brunneum is not yet known. However, they live for a few years. The long-horn beetle's average lifespan is around 50 for male and 60 for female species.

How do they reproduce?

Orthosoma brunneum has a Holometabolous development stage. It has been reported that this species breed in utility poles and railroad ties.

This beetle usually breeds in logs and decaying trees. The larvae excavate through wood, which is packed with coarse frass, as White (1983) stated. The female lays several eggs in groups in decaying wood for larvae to feed later on.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of brown prionid beetles (Orthosoma brunneum) is Not Evaluated.

Brown Prionid Beetle Fun Facts

What do brown prionid beetles look like?

Orthosoma brunneum has a brown or reddish body and lacks any kind of spots. Their antennae have 11 segments and the prothorax has spikes. They look very similar to Asia long-horned beetle. Their eyes like in all their relatives are notched at the base of their antennae.

Each of their lateral margins has three teeth. In this species, the antennae are shorter than their body. There are no patterns on their wings and antennae.

How cute are they?

These brown-colored insects are not considered cute.

How do they communicate?

Like all their relatives, these beetles too, communicate using chemicals, sound, and body language. The brown prionid beetle squeaking sound will be heard when they are threatened.

How big is a brown prionid beetle?

This beetle species can grow up to 0.9-1.8 in (23-48 mm) long. These insects are almost half the size of stag beetles.

How fast can brown prionid beetles move?

The exact flight or running speed of these beetle species is not yet known. These long-horn beetle species do not fly very fast and only fly for short distances.

How much does a brown prionid beetle weigh?

The weight of this beetle is not yet known. Usually, the long-horned beetles can weigh between 0.0011-0.0015 lb (0.0005-0.0007 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There is no specific name given to male and female crown prionid beetles.

What would you call a baby brown prionid beetle?

There is no specific name given to the baby brown prionid beetle insect. When they start developing into adults they are referred to as larvae.

What do they eat?

The brown prionid beetle diet type is herbivorous. They feed mainly on shrubs and roots of woody plants like oak, willows, and firs.

Are they harmful?

The insects are not harmful to humans unless threatened, they can pinch and even draw out blood. The brown prionid beetle bite can be very painful. Also, these insects are not extensively harmful to the trees they feed on.

Would they make a good pet?

No, the brown prionid insect does not make a good pet. Like all their relatives these species too are considered pests.

Did you know...

The brown prionid beetle insect is attracted to electric lights.

The larvae of the long-horned beetles are referred to as roundheaded borers as they can easily bore into barks of trees.

Asian long-horned beetles (Anoplophora glabripennis) that these species are confused with have white spots and the antennae have black and white bands on them. Also, the antennae are longer than their body.

The subfamily Prioninae beetles use their large mandibles to fight other males in a breeding season like stag beetles. Most of these species are borer beetles

Some predators of brown prionid beetles are flies, wasps, snakes, and birds.

Many long-horned beetles can mimic bees, ants, and wasps.

To get rid of these beetles you can use several natural oils like peppermint oil and neem oil. However, neem oil sprays have been known to be the go-to solution. There are also many other chemical sprays available that can be used too. It is also advised to inspect for any kind of infestation on your properties.

Do brown prionid beetles bite?

The brown Prionid insects do bite or pinch. They have strong mandibles, which they use to excavate through the wood. If they are no handled properly, they can bite.

When was brown prionid beetles introduced to North America?

Like many other beetle species, Orthosoma brunneum was also accidentally introduced to North America through solid wood packing material (or wooden crate material). Also, it is unknown where long-horned beetles came from.

Asian long-horned beetles originated from Asian countries Japan, Korea, and China. This beetle has accidentally introduced through wood packaging containers. These species and many others are now pests around the world.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these weevil beetle facts and blister beetle facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring on one of our free printable brown Prionid insect coloring pages.