Anisandrus dispar

This beetle shows a distinct sexual dimorphism. The females have a cylindrical body 3–3.5 mm in length, while the males are plump and only 2 mm in size. They are so-called ambrosia beetles, i.e. the adults and larvae feed on fungi rather than on the wood itself. In spring, the females excavate short primary and secondary galleries and cultivate symbiotic fungi as a food source. Teneral females and males mate inside the breeding system and most remain there during winter. In April–May, the females emerge while the flightless males die off. They usually colonize recently died, old, weakened trees of any age. During the outbreak, healthy trees may also be attacked. The damage in terms of timber quality loss is minor because the breeding systems remain very shallow.