Identifying Flat-Headed Borers: Jewel Beetle Larvae in Firewood

That Creature in Your Hickory Log Is a Flat-Headed Borer

The larva you found after splitting a hickory log is a flat-headed borer—the immature stage of a jewel beetle (family Buprestidae, also called metallic wood borers). These larvae tunnel in dead or dying wood, playing a role in decomposition.

Key Facts

• Adult jewel beetles are often brilliantly colored and metallic.
• Most species infest only dead, stressed, or dying trees—not healthy ones.
• The invasive emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is a destructive exception, killing millions of healthy ash trees.
• Flat-headed borers pose no danger to humans or structures.

Fun Science Note

Male jewel beetles have been known to mistake beer bottles for females due to their glossy, dimpled surface—a famous example of evolutionary mismatch. Read more in "For Love of a Bottle".