Its range extends from New Hampshire southwards through the coastal plain to Florida and westward to Texas and Missouri.

The red turpentine beetle (Dendroctonus valens) has a much wider distribution in the eastern United States, and the ranges of the two species overlap very little.

This oozing resin mixes with the wood dust and forms a pinkish "pitch tube" on the bark at the site of entry.

If she successfully gains entry into the sapwood, the female spends about a fortnight excavating a gallery which typically is at first horizontal and then goes vertically downwards, often to below ground level.

Biological control using this predator is being investigated, with a batch of beetles imported from Belgium being released in Louisiana in 1988.