BEETLES

LONGHORN BEETLES

The common name 'Fairy-ring Longhorn' is due to the females which lay eggs in humus rich soil where the Fairy-ring mushroom Marasmius oreades is present. Larvae normally take two years to develop. During autumn the larvae burrow down roughly 5cm into the soil where they overwinter to resume feeding in spring. Adults visit flower-heads of a range of plants including ox-eye daisies, buttercups, umbels and yarrow to feed on pollen and nectar. Adults are 5-9mm in length.

Black-striped Longhorn is found on warm summer days visiting flowers. Females oviposit in wood of dead or dying trees and moist decaying timber. The larvae inhabit dead twigs, branches and surface roots on which they feed.

The Large Black Longhorn is rarely recorded and nationally scarce. It is ecologically related to beech forests. Adults are usually active in June and July. The larvae develop in deciduous deadwood. These beetles measure up to 20 mm long.

Black-spotted Longhorn. Adults, 13-22 mm long, are found from spring until autumn on umbellifers, hawthorn and elder in wooded locations. After mating the females oviposit eggs in cracks of tree bark usually where the wood is soft and starting to rot. The larvae make shallow galleries under the bark seldom entering the tissue that carries water and dissolved minerals upward through the tree. The young take 2-3 years to develop before reaching adulthood.

Black and Yellow Longhorn is a common beetle usually found on woodland hedgerows during June and July. Adults are active in warm weather feeding on nectar and pollen. The larvae live in moist decaying wood for 2-3 years with pupation occurring inside a cell formed in the wood. Adults are short-lived by comparison living only for 2-4 weeks.

The Rufous-shouldered Longhorn is found along woodland paths on hedgerows eapecially where hawthorn exists. Its larvae burrow under bark producing galleries tightly packed with very fine wood dust. Larval development typically takes 2-3 years. Pupation occurs during autumn in a gallery excavated parallel to the wood grain.

The Variable Longhorn has a preference for open or fragmented deciduous woodland with lots of marginal vegetation, often in locations exposed to the sun and supporting a range of flowers. Adults have a short season, typically June and July, although during warm weather they may become active from mid-May and sometimes persist until August. They visit flowerheads to feed on pollen. Mating mainly takes place on the ground or low on tree trunks. Body length: 15-27mm.

The Wasp Beetle uses mimicry to keep it safe from predators by making them think it is a common wasp. Apart from its black and yellow colouration the ruse is enhanced by using jerky movements when flying. This species can often be found resting on hedgerows during summer. Its larvae live in warm, dry, dead wood, with a preference for willow and birch.

The Golden-bloom Grey Longhorn is a bristly beetle with banded antennae and golden elytra and thorax. Typically seen in meadows and hedgerows where nettles, hogweed and cow parsley grow during May and June. Body length: 18-20 mm.

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• Longhorn Beetles