Longhorn beetles are remarkable insects whose larvae bore through wood for years before emerging as adults. Invasive species control, the exotic pet trade, and habitat loss all raise welfare considerations.
Invasive longhorn beetle control typically involves extensive felling of host trees and insecticide treatment that kills larvae within. The welfare impact is significant at scale. For the pet trade, collection removes animals from their ecological context and places them in artificial conditions that rarely meet the complex requirements of long-lived wood-boring larvae. Wild collection for both pest management and the pet trade causes direct individual harm.