Beetles Girdling Mimosa Twigs: Twig Girdler vs. Twig Pruner

Perfect circles cut around mimosa branches = **twig girdler** or **twig pruner** (both longhorned beetles, *Cerambycidae*).

Distinguishing the Cut

Feature	Twig Girdler	Twig Pruner
Cut appearance	Beaver-chewed: rough outside, ragged center	Saw-cut: smooth interior, spiral from center
Egg laying	In severed twig (outside)	In bark slit near tip (before cut)
Larval tunnel	Inside fallen twig	Down center of attached twig, then severs
Timing	Late summer/fall	Spring egg lay; late summer sever

**Collect and destroy ALL severed twigs** (burn, chip, trash) before larvae emerge.
**Prune and destroy** any infested twigs still attached (look for bore holes/frass).
**Repeat annually**—breaks life cycle.

Adults don’t feed; larvae are protected. Cultural removal is the standard recommendation.

Trees: Mimosa Webworms and Wilt: Organic Control Options; Oak Twig Girdler vs. Twig Pruner: Identification and Cultural Control; Pecan Twig Girdlers and Pruners: Sanitation Is the Only Control; Twig Girdlers and Pruners: Why Oak Branches Fall; Mimosa Wilt (Fusarium): Management and Reality; Twig Girdlers and Twig Pruners: Why Your Oak Is Dropping Leafy Twigs; Identifying and Managing Twig Girdlers and Pruners on Aspen Trees; Maple Leaf Drop After Pruning: Shock or Herbicide?; Transplanted Maples Leafing at Base: Check Top, Prune Dead; Beetles on Dogwood and Maple: Likely Japanese Beetles—Foliar Spray or Systemic

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