OLD HOUSE BORER (Hylptrupes bajulus)
Biology
- Length: 5/8 to 1 inch in length; males generally smaller than females.
- Brownish black to black in color and covered with short, gray hairs
- Antennae is 1/3 the body length or more, and is eleven segmented.
- Body is slightly flattened with a 5 segmented tarsi.
- The prothorax, behind the head, is round in shape and has two raised black bumps.
- The wing covers may be completely black with patches of gray that form bands.
Distribution/Habits
- Found on every continent except Australia. Very common on Eastern and Southeastern coasts of the United States.
- Old House borer is only present in wood of structures. It is the only long horned beetle that can reinfest seasoned lumber.
- Attracted to soft wood; i.e. pines.
- Optimum wood moisture content is 10-28%.
- Before visible damage is present, rhythmic rasping or clicking sounds indicate an infestation of larger larvae feeding.
- Eggs are deposited in cracks within wood. Upon hatching, larvae bore down into the wood and begin to feed.
- Larvae stage can last anywhere from 2 – 10 years.
- Frass produced by the larvae is composed of barrel shaped pellets of digested wood and irregular-shaped particles which have not been digested. This frass can be found tightly packed in galleries.
|
