Csóka, György and Kovács, Tibor (1999): Xilofág rovarok - Xylophagous insects. Hungarian Forest Research Institute. Erdészeti Turományos Intézet, Agroinform Kiadó, Budapest, 189 pp.
Mn: Penésztenyészto bogár / En: Large timberworm
6-18 mm. Univoltine. This species maintains a symbiotic relationship with fungi belonging to yeast fungi (Endomyces hylecoeti for example). Female beetles searching for a suitable food source for the larva transport the spores of the fungus and attach them to the eggs before they are laid in small crevices in the wood. The larvae chew curving tunnels up to 30 cm long into the wood. The larvae do not feed on the wood tissue itself, but rather eat the hyphae of the fungus, which they can digest far more easily. The larvae clean the tunnels to provide optimal conditions for fungus growth. The wall of the tunnel and the surrounding tissues become black because of the fungus. Polyphagous, can be found in timber of many broad-leaved and even some coniferous trees. Widespread in Europe, and also common in Hungary.
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