Abstract The tile-horned Prionus, Prionus imbricornis (Linnaeus, 1767) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae), is native to the eastern United States and feeds on woody shrubs and hardwoods as larvae. Several species of Prionus are known to be pests as larvae, but their overlapping ranges and similar larval morphology make species identification difficult, leading to erroneous host associations. Comparative molecular data of larvae infesting Vaccinium corymbosum Linnaeus in North Carolina reveal P. imbricornis as a pest. A review of insect biology, description of life stages, host plants, damage, and management options for P. imbricornis is presented. A key to adult North Carolina Prionus species and molecular barcodes of P. imbricornis are provided to facilitate future species-level identification for accurate host association.
Geisert et al. (Thu,) studied this question.