Deathwatch beetle

Pied Furniture Beetle ( Xestobium rufovillosum )

The Pied furniture beetle or Multicolored Pochkäfer ( Xestobium rufovillosum ) belongs to the family of furniture beetle ( Anobiidae ). He is also called the death-watch beetle in the vernacular, because during the mating season, the male with his head strikes the wood, to attract females. According to ancient folklore, this was associated with the death of knocking those who stayed in a room infested by these beetles. So you spoke of the death-watch beetle.

The beetles are 5-7 mm long, making them the largest indigenous to Central Europe Anobienart. Your body is dark brown and has yellow-gray hair patches distributed on the body. These have him " piebald " also lent name suffixes such as " colored" or. In Central Europe, they are the most numerous representatives of the furniture beetle. The beetles like to sit on flowers.

The larvae live in oak and willow wood but also in wooden constructions. The Pied furniture beetle is considered as a secondary pest, since only wood is infested, which is already damaged by wood- destroying fungi. In a reorganization is therefore removing the cause and control a fungal disease in the foreground. Through their intensive feeding the beetle larvae can significantly accelerate and enhance the destruction of the wood.