Great aspen beetle (Saperda carcharias L.)

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The woodcutter beetle is a prominent representative of the Coleoptera order, famous for its huge mustache. Due to its external features, it is often also called barbel. This insect mainly lives in tropical countries, but is represented on almost all continents. It has more than twenty-five thousand varieties. And this is not the final figure. Every year, scientists discover more and more new species of longhorned beetles.

Origin of the species and description

Photo: Lumberjack Beetle

Lumberjacks are a very large family of beetles. They belong to the order Coleoptera and occupy fifth place in the number of species. As already noted, today scientists count more than twenty-five thousand varieties. The beetles got their name “woodcutter” due to their special “love” for wood. They not only eat wood, but also build their homes in it.

Interesting fact: The Titan Lumberjack is recognized as the largest beetle in the world. The length of its body can reach twenty-two centimeters. However, such a huge insect cannot be found in museums. The individuals presented for public viewing are no more than seventeen centimeters long.

Due to the fact that the wood is consumed by these beetles as food, they are considered pests. These insects cause enormous damage to human property, various buildings, and the environment. This multifaceted creature is distributed almost throughout the globe. The only exceptions are very cold areas of planet Earth. The largest populations are found in tropical regions.

A unique feature of these animals is their mustache. They are segmented, most often exceeding the length of the body itself by several times. Also a characteristic feature are the wings. However, not all members of the family can use them. Only a few species are endowed with the ability to fly. Woodcutter beetles, which are large in size, often look very clumsy when flying.

Appearance and features

Photo: Insect woodcutter beetle

Most representatives of lumberjacks have average body dimensions. Only a small number belong to the group of giants - these are titanium and bigtooth. Their average length is 167 millimeters. Such animals live mainly in Young America. Beetles from Fiji are smaller in size. Their length can reach fifteen centimeters. The carpenter's barbel (up to 6 centimeters) is a giant among European species, the relict barbel (up to 11 centimeters) is a large representative of the order living in Russia.

Video: Lumberjack Beetle

A significant part of the insect's length is occupied by the whiskers. Sometimes they exceed the body length by four to five times. The body of the woodcutter beetle is slender, slightly elongated. There may be various spots and stripes on it.

The colors come in a variety of colors:

• gray-blue;
• black-brown;
• greenish;
• white;
• mother-of-pearl;
• pale yellow.

Interesting fact: Among the adult woodcutter beetles there are atypical species. One of them is the Parandra barbel. It has small dimensions and is considered the most primitive. The body of such an insect is flat and very wide. For this reason, it is often confused with stag.

Lumberjacks can make various sounds. The sound is produced by the friction of the rib on the surface of the mesothorax. The sound is creaking, not very pleasant. Beetles use it as protection. The sound is made in the event of an enemy attack; it is of a frightening nature.

Kinds

Very rough estimates indicate about 26,000 species of these creatures, but these data often change. Almost every year new species are discovered from different places, mainly from the tropics and areas close to the equator. However, new species also appear in civilized Europe, exotic Asia and advanced America.

There are 583 species of them on the territory of Russia. Despite their diversity and abundance, these insects have been well studied by scientists. Most are average in size for beetles. But there are also giants among them. For example, the titan lumberjack, which lives in North America, reaches 19-22 cm in length.

There is another large species in South America - the Brazilian bigtooth woodcutter, the size of which can be 17-18 cm. The longhorned beetle from Fiji is the third largest of the large beetles known at the moment. Its size reaches 15 cm.

Lumberjack bigtooth

Of the European beetles, the largest at the moment is the carpenter's longhorned beetle, it is about 6 cm long. Russia also has a large representative of this species - the Ussuri relict longhorned beetle. He grew to 11 cm.

Relict barbel

There are 11 subfamilies belonging to the barbels. Let's talk about some of them. Their names: true longhorned beetles, laminae, longhorned beetles, parandrins, prionine longhorned beetles, spondylidins. Lamiinae include more than 13,000 species of beetles, many of which look elegant in appearance. For example, some have transverse stripes of black and greenish color along their wings.

Prionins include 1000 species. This is one of the oldest beetles. Found everywhere on earth except cold polar regions. The size varies greatly, from 2 mm to 178 mm, but mostly these are large beetles, sometimes even up to 22 cm.

Painted in brown, black, brown tones. It is to this subfamily that the giants among beetles belong: the titan woodcutter, the Brazilian bigtooth woodcutter and the Ussuri relic woodcutter.

Parandrins number 50 species and live in the tropics and subtropics. They are atypical for the family, as they have very short antennae, which are more reminiscent of staghorns. The color of their hard wings is usually red-brown or black.

The barbels or lepturines are a family of 100 genera and 2500 species. Small beetles, the wings are colored with yellow and black stripes.

Spondylidins include more than 100 species. These are nocturnal and crepuscular representatives. Their whiskers are also not very long, their size is smaller than their body. The color of the wings is blue-black or black-brown.

This longhorned beetle in the photo resembles a picture from Egyptian frescoes. It is very beautifully outlined, there is an interception in the middle of the body, the wings have a noble matte tint, a little like a bronze vase. The whiskers are segmented, the paws are very elegant. Just a model for a coat of arms.

Where does the woodcutter beetle live?

Photo: Relic woodcutter beetle

The longhorned beetle can thrive almost anywhere there is wood. The only exception is regions with too low temperatures. The favorite tree species of such insects are conifers. However, they also live in other trees, shrubs and even herbaceous plants. Sometimes insects choose country houses and dachas to live. They can feed on wooden furniture and building elements, which causes great harm.

The largest representative of the family, the titanium beetle lives in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela. They settle in the Amazon River basin. Residents of these countries sometimes independently attract such insects to their homes, then sell them for huge sums. The demand for titan beetles is very high among collectors.

In European countries, Iran, Turkey, Western Asia, the Caucasus and the Urals, woodcutter beetles live in large populations. They also live in Moscow. Animals choose deciduous, mixed forests to live. They settle in dead trees. In general, about five hundred species of longhorned beetles live in Russia. Other species of the woodcutter beetle are present on almost all continents. They live in Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova.

Habitat, lifestyle, nutrition

Despite the fact that longhorned beetles are considered arboreal insects, they can live and reproduce not only in various types of wood, but also in shrubs and herbaceous plants.

Insects prefer to lay larvae in coniferous wood. In low-nutrient, dry wood they can live up to 45 years.

Settling in houses made of timber or logs, they begin to slowly destroy it, devouring the internal tissues of the tree. In addition to eating wood, beetles infect the home with mold.

You can determine the habitats of insects in the house:

• by a dull sound when tapping wooden structures or its deflection.

• on piles of wood dust near walls or wooden furniture;

In a forest or garden, beetles live under the bark of trees and in their core. The nutrition of insects depends on their habitat. Adults can feed on leaves, bark, petioles, pistils and stamens of plants.

What does the woodcutter beetle eat?

Photo: Big woodcutter beetle

The main diet of woodcutter beetles consists of leaves, pollen, and needles. Some members of the genus prefer to eat only juice. The bark on young branches becomes food less often. Middle-aged individuals feed on it. The bark of young twigs is a “diet” food. It helps the germ cells mature.

The black house woodcutter brings great harm to humanity. It inhabits building materials, furniture, and wooden elements of residential and commercial buildings. Such beetles not only make cracks for themselves to live there, but also lay larvae in them. There have been cases in the world when barbel larvae almost completely destroyed wooden houses in entire neighborhoods.

The larvae's diet consists mainly of dead wood. This is due to the fact that a living tree has too little protein. Protein is necessary for larvae to grow and develop. In rotting trees, where fungi have developed, there is much more of this necessary protein.

Interesting fact: There are adult woodcutter beetles in the world that do not eat food at all.

An example of insects that can survive without food is the titan beetle. It lives off the nutrients that it was able to accumulate while still in the larval stage. Beetles tolerate a period of starvation absolutely normally. And the entire adult period does not last long - only a couple of weeks.

Life cycle and nutrition of longhorned beetles

The longhorned beetle has a life cycle of 1 to 2 years depending on the species. During this period they go through several stages:

• egg;
• larva;
• chrysalis;
• imago.

The female lays eggs on the surface of the bark or substrate in which they live. These are so-called spontaneous clutches, because the insect does not particularly care about its offspring. However, some species of longhorned beetles diligently protect their eggs.

The development of larvae occurs inside wood, in grass, in plant shoots; already at this stage they eat bark. Throughout the summer period, the larvae prepare a shelter for themselves in the wood, drilling tunnels deeper into the wood. The males that appeared earlier than the females die off some time after mating. Females live until they lay eggs. On average, this period takes up to 3 months.

Longhorned beetles can live in the larval stage for 17 years, during which time they drill kilometers of tunnels into the thickness of wood. They only come to the surface when they turn into beetles.

The diet of longhorned pests depends entirely on their habitat. For example, woodcutters live in the forest zone and their main food is:

• needles;
• pollen;
• foliage;
• bark of young branches.

This diet promotes the full sexual development of insects. The black house beetle feeds mainly on wood, as it lives in residential buildings, causing damage to human property.

Features of character and lifestyle

Photo: Lumberjack Beetle Red Book

Lifestyle and rhythm of life depend on a number of factors:

• location;
• climate, weather conditions in the region;
• food quality;
• gender

Adult beetles living in the southern regions begin to be active in mid-spring. The woodcutter beetle flies in Central Asian territory only in early autumn. Rare members of the family lead a diurnal lifestyle, feeding on flowers. Other species prefer to fly, breed and feed in the dark.

Most adult longhorned beetles spend their time hidden during the day. There they rest and eat. Such insects fly extremely rarely. This is due to the large dimensions of the body. It is difficult for such bugs to take off and land softly. Only some of the flying species can carry out long flights. At the same time, in some species females fly more, in others - males.

The woodcutter beetle is an insect with a terrifying appearance. However, it does virtually no physical damage to humans. The barbel does not bite unnecessarily and has a calm character. History knows only a tiny number of such incidents. And the bite itself is not dangerous to humans. It heals quickly.

The role of longhorned beetles in the wild

Within the ecosystem, the role of prolific and active longhorned beetles is significant. Larvae and adults are excellent food for birds and small mammals.

Active and voracious larvae are involved in the process of recycling old and diseased trees and windbreaks. It’s not for nothing that the beetle is called a lumberjack. Scientists are exploring the connection between the life of lumberjack beetles and the spread of mycelia - myceliums inside stumps and fallen trees. The essence of the problem is this: wood alone is not enough to feed the larvae and ensure normal ripening. Protein-rich myceliums are a good help in feeding beetle larvae. But on the other hand, it is much easier for the mycelium to penetrate loose and oxygenated wood that is already infected with larvae. The interesting symbiosis of fungi and larvae is the topic of many studies in the field of ecology.

With the help of beetles, old stumps are quickly transformed into a nutrient substrate on which grass and young plants can grow. Adult beetles and adults play an important role in plant pollination because they feed on pollen.

The most dangerous barbel

The black house beetle woodcutter
is a dark or black house beetle that has chosen residential wooden houses as its main habitat. The beetle itself is very large, has a body up to 8 cm or up to 20 cm if you count the antennae. The larvae are relatively small, about 3 cm long and about 3-5 mm in diameter. The beetle settles in window frames, ceilings, partitions, and furniture.

damage by longhorned brownie beetle

The black house beetle develops only in treated coniferous, mainly spruce, pine and larch wood, for example, in beams, posts, etc. Severe damage

wood in buildings and structures is observed primarily in areas with high air humidity (for example, seaside, coastal areas), especially where the air temperature is quite high.

house beetle longhorned beetle
The flight of beetles begins in mid-June and lasts until August, occurring on hot days, especially in the afternoon and afternoon. They fly over relatively short distances. The female lives only about 25 days and lays eggs for only 12 days, immediately after mating. Oviposition is influenced by light intensity, terpene odor and irritation of the touching substrate. The female lays her eggs in wood crevices to a depth of 20-30 mm. In 2-8 sessions, the female can lay an average of 200, at most 420 eggs, from which larvae emerge after 1-3 weeks. Soon they begin to gnaw through passages, oval in cross-section, passing only through layers of spring wood and clogged with fine drill flour and excrement. Gradually the passages expand to 12 mm in diameter. The surface layer of wood remains intact and can be as thin as paper. Gradually, the sapwood is completely corroded, while the core usually remains intact. Adult larvae prepare a flight hole for future beetles, then expand the passage and create a pupal cradle, which is lined with shavings on one side and clogged with drill flour on the other. The larva goes through the prepupal stage, which lasts 1-2 weeks. The pupal stage itself lasts 2-4 weeks. When the young beetle's body becomes stronger, it leaves the wood through an oval hole. All development lasts 2-10 years, most often 3-6 years and depends on the quality of food, temperature and humidity of the wood.

The black house lumberjack is common

in Europe, Siberia, the Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Asia Minor and China. In the south it is found as far as northern Africa; it has also been introduced into southern Africa and North America. The black house lumberjack is a dangerous technical pest of wood in buildings and structures.

Social structure and reproduction

Photo: Lumberjack Beetle

Female lumberjacks lay eggs in the spring. For breeding, they very carefully select a secluded place. This is due to the fact that the place will serve not only as a “roof” over your head, but also as a source of food for the larvae. Most often, eggs are laid in large cracks in wood. Females prefer coniferous species: pine, cedar, spruce. Insects determine the type of tree by its subtle aroma.

Female longhorned beetles can lay varying numbers of eggs. Sometimes their numbers reach several hundred at a time. Two weeks after laying, larvae begin to appear. They are white in color and have an awkward appearance. Longhorn beetle larvae resemble worms and are highly voracious.

Interesting fact: The woodcutter beetle often interbreeds with other species. This leads to the formation of a large number of hybrids.

Woodcutter beetle larvae have strong, powerful jaws and high survival rates. They not only live in wood, but also actively make passages there to search for a new source of food. The appetite of the larvae is monstrous. In large concentrations, they are capable of completely destroying a wooden structure in a short period of time.

Woodcutter beetle larvae live for more than one year. There is a long period before reaching adulthood. For some it is one year, and for some species it is about two years. Adults live a tiny amount of time - no more than twenty-five days.

Natural enemies of woodcutter beetles

Photo: Lumberjack beetle

The most dangerous natural enemies of adult woodcutter beetles are woodpeckers. They are the ones who most often attack insects. They are also preyed upon by other bird species. Longhorn beetles often become victims of predatory insects. They are less often attacked by parasitic microorganisms. The latter kill animals slowly but surely.

The larvae live in secluded places, so they are less likely to become victims of natural enemies. They are preyed upon by wasps, parasitic microorganisms and other types of beetles.

Adult woodcutters do not suffer as much from predators and birds as from the hands of humans. Rare species of longhorned beetles, especially large individuals, are in particular danger. In most countries, they are hunted by collectors and exotic lovers. They catch them for their collections or for sale. In America, for example, you can get about a thousand dollars for a woodcutter beetle.

How to get rid of barbel

The longhorned beetle at home is one of the most terrible enemies of man, if not the most dangerous. Its larvae are hardy, voracious, and are not immediately detected. Therefore, you need to know some rules on how to get rid of the longhorned beetle so as not to be left homeless.

• When choosing wood, be sure to check whether it has been treated with an antiseptic.
• When constructing a building, use special finishing products for wood with an antiseptic. They will prevent bugs from invading.
• If you have bugs, be sure to carry out emergency treatment with chemicals. These are bromomethyl, zinc chloride, sublimate. Moreover, such treatment must be carried out 2-3 times a year. The larvae are tenacious, and prevention is a must. It is important to remember that the process must be carried out under the control of the relevant services. It is better to call specialists from the sanitary and epidemiological station for this purpose.

You should also contact specialists if you decide to fumigate against beetles, treat with poisonous gas, or install poisonous baits. All these methods require a careful professional approach.

You can treat it with dry steam or, conversely, by freezing. Only these methods are difficult to implement at home. And they are not safe. Therefore, they are used in production, and only in strictly designated places.

A modern method of getting rid of house beetles is microwave irradiation. A special device heats the wood even in hard-to-reach places, destroying the larvae. The advantage of this method is safety for people and buildings. It happens that some affected parts are easier to cut out and replace with new, undamaged and treated ones.

Population and species status

Photo: Woodcutter beetle from the Red Book

The woodcutter beetle has about twenty-five thousand species. For this reason, the family cannot be called endangered. The population of such insects in the main area of ​​residence is quite large and is not threatened. However, many species of longhorned beetles are rapidly declining. Some species are even listed in the Red Data Books of European countries.

The following factors influence the decline in the population of certain species of lumberjacks:

• massive deforestation of coniferous forests. Coniferous wood has become increasingly used during construction and furniture making. Uncontrolled logging leads to the destruction of the “homes” of woodcutters;
• catching beetles by collectors. This is due to the high cost of individuals on the market;
• destruction of insects by humans. The woodcutter beetle, especially its larvae, is a pest. Those individuals that settle in houses and dachas are periodically destroyed using special compounds.

Fighting the house beetle

What to do if there are bugs in your house?

Fortunately, today there are already many effective ways to combat these pests:

• processing damaged wooden parts using special means. The most popular solutions are “Antizhuk”, “Antishashelin” and “Empire 20”, which are applied to the wood using a sprayer. These agents penetrate deep into the wood, making it poisonous to the larvae. The active ingredients of these solutions can retain their properties for up to 25 years;
• treatment of surfaces and parts with gas - phosphine, sulfur dioxide, dichloroethane and others. This is a very effective method, however, it may be unsafe for the handler himself, so you need to work with gas extremely carefully;
• professional exterminators use microwave installations to destroy beetles. Microwave radiation “fries” beetles and their larvae directly in the thickness of the tree. This is a very effective method, and absolutely safe for humans;
• There is also a “folk” way to get rid of barbel larvae: you need to take one part naphthalene, one part kerosene and four parts turpentine, mix, and then treat the surface of the wooden part with the resulting mixture. The fumes from this toxic mixture will kill all the larvae right inside the tree. This method of fighting beetles is very popular among restorers.

But before you start exterminating the beetles, check the part you want to process. Try piercing it with a screwdriver. If you succeed, you don’t even have to waste time on pest control; in this case, the part will have to be replaced completely.