Ips cembrae

The adult’s body is cylindrical, 4.0-5.5 mm long, of brown-black colour. The first generation is active in April-May, and the second one in August-September. The male bores the nuptial chamber, where mates with 2 up to 5 females. Maternal galleries are irregular, longer than 10-12 cm. Larval galleries are dense, irregular and short. Larvae pupate in the bark and sapwood. After hatching, young adults have a maturation feeding in 1-3 year old shoots in the crowns of older larches, causing a severe defoliation. With a physiology rather similar to the spruce bark beetle, it is a polygamous species prefers larch. It attacks weakened or wind broken trees. Tends to outbreaks. Several other bark beetles species live on larch, including Cryphalus intermedius, C. abietis, C. saltuarius, Xyloterus lineatus and Pityophthorus pityographus.