Red Pine Longhorn Beetle
Lat. “Stictoleptura rubra“ species
of family
“Longhorn Beetles“ 1 species
Stictoleptura rubra, the Red-brown Longhorn Beetle, is a species of beetles belonging to the family Cerambycidae.
Subspecies
Two subspecies are sometimes recognised:
Stictoleptura rubra rubra (Linnaeus, 1758) (=nominate subspecies)
Stictoleptura rubra numidica (Peyerhimoff, 1917)
Two former subspecies, namely Stictoleptura rubra dichroa (Blanchard, 1871) and Stictoleptura rubra succedanea (Lewis, 1873) are often treated as synonyms under Stictoleptura dichroa (Blanchard, 1871) in recent works.
Description
Stictoleptura rubra can reach a length of 10–20 millimetres (0.39–0.79 in). This species has an evident sexual dimorphism, with variations in color and shape. Elytra and pronotum of the females are uniformly reddish-brown or reddish-orange, while in males head and pronotum are black. Moreover the males have brown or pale ochre elytra and often they are smaller and narrower than the females.
Biology
Life cycle of this species lasts two - three years. Adults can be encountered from May to September, but mainly in July and August). They visit flowering plants for nectar and/or pollen, while larvae develop and feed within dead wood and tree stumps of coniferous trees (Picea, Pinus, Abies, Larix). To develop and reach maturity they need nutrients provided by fungi. Their gut contains cellulase-producing yeasts to enable xylophagy, or wood-digestion.
Distribution
The species is found throughout the European mainland, Russia and North Africa. It can also be found in Turkey and Great Britain.
