Hylotrupes bajulus

House longhorn beetle

Medium size beetle size, body size from 7 to 22 mm, typical black-gray coloration with black dots on the chest. The female lays up to 300 eggs on the surface (resp. into the crevices) of dry coniferous timber. Mainly spruce timber. The larva lives very long, usually 3 to 7 years, in extreme cases more than 10 years. The presence of larvae reveals the typical noise (squeaking), caused by larva when eating the wood inside the gallery. This sound is similar to the sound of nails scratching on dry wood. It is the most dangerous insect pest of wooden construction in Europe.

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The larvae lives inside the gallery in the wood, which often inadvertently pass to the surface of the wood. The larvae leave often only a very thin layer of wood (as thin as paper) between the gallery system and surface of the wood. Excavation holes are elliptical.

Tree Species: Pine, Fir, Spruce

Part of a plant- attacked: Tree trunk

Pest significance: Not harmful

Pest Category: Insects

Invasive Species: No

Present in EU: Yes

Pest group: Insect

Depth of damages: Bark, Under bark only, Up to 0,5 cm depth

The extent of damage: Whole trunk

Prevalence in Europe: Common

Damaged products: Firewood, Fresh timber logs (water still in the sapwood)

Roundwood size: Diameter 50+, Diameter from 10 up to 50 cm, Diameter up to 10 cm