Four-lane lepturia - a frequent guest of flowering clearings

Barbel is the fifth largest family of beetles in terms of number of species. They are easily distinguished by long antennas exceeding the body size by 2-4 times. The family includes 26 thousand species, of which 583 live in Russia. The distribution of beetles is associated with forests, they are found in places rich in wood. Most representatives of the group are of medium size. One of the common types of leprosy is four-lane. The beetle on the elytra has four yellow bandages. Adults feed on nectar, and larvae need hardwood.

Morphological description of the species

Four-lane leptura (Leptura quadrifasciati) is a beetle from the family of barbel or lumberjack. The insect is medium-sized, adults grow to 10-18 mm. Beetles are slender, with an elongated body. The head is small, rounded in shape, directed downward at a slight angle. Mandibles are well developed. Facet eyes are located on the sides of the head, their front edge with a deep curved incision. Short whiskeys pass into a narrow neck.

The eyes are large, complex, notched. Antennae are the organs of touch of insects. With their help, beetles feel the surrounding objects in search of food and a place for laying eggs. In a calm state, the antennae are laid along the back. Antennas consist of 11 segments, the second segment is short, the rest are elongated. The pronotum is bell-shaped, the posterior angles are acute. Elytra long, tapering to apex. From under them is seen the edge of the abdomen. The wings are completely hidden.

Elytral pattern characteristic of the species, four yellow or orange wavy bands on a mostly black background. Its colored hairs and the chitinous cover form it. Motley coloring helps adult lumberjacks disguise themselves in flowers. The limbs are running, composed of 5 parts. The front pair is the shortest, the rear is longer than the rest. The legs are black, sometimes brown in females. Shins without teeth, but with spurs on top.

Interesting fact. The elytra is variable, the stripes can be shortened, broken into separate spots. In some cases, the pattern completely disappears.

Sexual dimorphism

The antennae of the male are equal in length to the apex of the elytra, and the female reaches only half. Females are noticeably larger and more massive partners. Their abdomen ends in an ovipositor. Mandibles of males are more developed.

Distribution area

The species is widespread in the Palearctic, insects live on a vast territory from Spain in the west to Siberia and Japan in the east.

Lifestyle

The beetle years are observed in May-June and lasts until the end of August. Barbel is active and motile insects. They can be found in fine weather in a forest glade or a mixed meadow. Adults eat on flowers, prefer umbellate. They fly actively in hot sunny weather. The barbel is fed pollen on hogweed, elecampane high, hawthorn, spirea, thistle, rubus, and thistle. Supplementary nutrition is a must before mating. A fertilized female lays eggs in groups in the crevices of tree bark.

Offspring development

The larvae of the four-lane leptur have a structure characteristic of the offspring of lumberjack beetles. They have a fleshy white body with a black head and a brown chest shield. Prothorax greatly enlarged, head almost drowning in it.Simple short eyes are located near the short 3-segmented antennae. The abdomen consists of 9 segments, 6 of them have callus growths for movement along the courses. This is a distinctive feature of the species, in the larvae of other longhorn beams in 7 segments. There are no legs. There are 9 pairs of spiracles on the abdomen, one on each segment.

Larvae develop in groups in old rotting wood. Up to 10 inhabitants are found in one birch trunk. They settle in the lower part of trunks, stumps, felled branches with a diameter of at least 15 cm. The offspring live in wet and dry wood, but the second option is preferable to accelerate pupation. The pupa is free, parts of its body are clearly distinguishable. The feed base of the larvae is given by many trees: alder, oak, poplar, willow, elder, aspen and birch. Development lasts 2-3 years. Natural enemies of the leprosy larvae are birds. Woodpeckers and other insectivorous species are aware of the presence of larvae in rotten trunks. They easily get prey from under the bark.

Information. A rider from the Henson ruspator family of braconids parasitizes on leptor larvae.

Related view

According to morphological characteristics, beetles are very similar to golden leptur (Leptura aurulenta). The European type of barbel has an average size of 12-25 mm. The general coloration of the insect is black; on the elytra, the orange-golden hairs create a pattern of four transverse stripes. The antennae and limbs are red. Larvae develop on alder, beech, poplar.