Burnt pine longhorn

Arhopalus ferus · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Cerambycidae

Damages trees, gardens or crops. It damages dead or dying pine and spruce trees.

Burnt pine longhorn — Photo: portioid, CC BY

Females are drawn to the smell of burnt wood and lay eggs in bark cracks soon after a fire. The larvae bore into phloem, cambium and sometimes sapwood of fire-damaged pine and spruce, taking several years to develop.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

Body is elongated and oval; head points forward; antennae are thread-like and half to three-quarters of body length, longer in males; prothorax is smoothly curved and narrower than the elytra, which have four ridges.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

Adults measure 8 to 30 mm, reddish-brown to black; males are generally smaller and lighter.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

Prefers dead or dying pine and spruce that have been burned or otherwise damaged, but will rarely use healthy trees.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

Feeds on dead or dying pine and spruce injured by fire, rarely on healthy trees.

Source: Wikipedia

Life cycle

Completes its life cycle in 3 to 4 years in its native range, but in New Zealand it may finish in 1 to 2 years.

Source: Wikipedia

When you see it

Adults live for several weeks and emerge from spring to autumn.

Source: Wikipedia

Questions people ask

How can I tell if I have burnt pine longhorn beetles?

Look for 8 to 30 mm reddish-brown to black beetles with elongated oval bodies, forward-pointing heads, and long, thread-like antennae; males have longer antennae.

Source: Wikipedia

Do they damage living trees?

They mainly attack dead or fire-damaged pine and spruce, rarely infesting healthy trees.

Source: Wikipedia

When are the adults active?

Adults are active for several weeks from spring through autumn.

Source: Wikipedia