What it looks like: The Giant Palm Borer is very large (3-5cm), cylindrical and dark brown. The wing covers have weakly raised ridges with many punctures between, and have projecting points near the tail end. The head points downward from the hood-like prothorax. The beetle is hairless above, but has dense golden hairs beneath.

Where you'll find it: This species occurs in scattered localities throughout the Colorado desert, always in isolated canyons where its host palms grow.

Natural History: Dinapate wrightii is a specialist borer in the California Fan Palm, Washingtonia filifera. Adults emerge in midsummer, and are active mainly at night. Females chew tunnels into the trunk at leaf bases. Here males find and mate with them, and eggs are soon laid. Larvae bore through the trunks, requiring several years to develop. When full-grown they pupate near the surface of the trunks; upon emergence, the adults chew their way to freedom.