Arthropods Daily – Issue No. 490

Stictoleptura rubra is a species of beetle with two recognized subspecies, rubra and numidica. They have a length of 10–20 millimetres and show sexual dimorphism in color and shape. The males have black head and pronotum, while females have reddish-brown or reddish-orange elytrae. Their life cycle lasts two to three years, and adults are active from May to September, mainly in July and August. They feed on nectar and pollen from flowering plants and their larvae develop in dead wood of coniferous trees like Picea, Pinus, and Abies. These beetles are found across Europe, Russia, North Africa, Turkey, and Great Britain.