Longhorn beetle - Molorchus minor L.From: Kolk A., Starzyk J. R., 1996: The Atlas of Forest Insect Pests Occurrence: The north and central Europe, Asia throughout Siberia to Korea, Japan, Sakhalin Island, sporadically Asia Minor, the Caucasian Mountains and Iran. Host plants: Conifers, in the central Europe mainly the Norway spruce. In Poland was recorded on exotic species like eastern white pine, Sitka and blue spruce. Morphology: Adults are 5-16 mm long, narrow. The body is black or brownish red. Elytrae are shortened, brown with white oblique stripe on each one. Wings are well seen. Antennae of males are 12-segmented and much longer than the body. Antennae of female are 11-segmented and as long as the body. Eggs are elongated, oval, 1.1 mm long. The larva is up to 13.5 mm long, white, covered with short, sparse hair. The pupa is white, up to 13 mm long. Biology: Adults fly from May through July. They are often observed on flowers (Umbeliferrae, Rowan etc.). Females lay eggs singly into bark crevices. Larvae hatch 3 weeks later and feed in cambium. Later they feed within inner bark and outer wood making 5-10 mm wide and 1-2 mm deep, flat, curved galleries with sharp margins. Galleries are filled with frass and whitish brown shredded wood and bark. In spring next year larvae enter the wood to construct pupal chambers of about 12 mm in length and 2 cm under the surface. It has on generation per one or two years, in dependence on climatic conditions. Damage: M. minor attacks and kills weakened or damaged young trees, also various wooden materials in bark. This species lowers the value of the wood. Preventive measures and control: Debarking of the wooden material.
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Forest Pests: Insects, Diseases & Other Damage Agents |
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