Leiopus nebulosus

Brown Grey Splintbock ( Leiopus nebulosus )

The Brown Grey Splintbock or Nebula Bock Brown or Grey horned ( Leiopus nebulosus ) is a beetle of the family of longhorn beetles ( Cerambycidae ).

Description

The beetles are 6 to 10 millimeters long. They are gray -beige patterned and have on the wing covers an unlimited, broad transverse fascia. The coloration of the elytra is variable, usually they are brown at the base, along the seams, yellow with brown spots, the end is also yellow with brown spots. In the middle is a broad yellow transverse band with brown spots. The elytra are distinctly spotted and trimmed diagonally at the ends. The pronotum has behind the center to the sides of rear-facing sharp thorns. The antennae are considerably longer than the body and stained brown from the third antennal segment.

A similar type is Leiopus punctulatus. Their color is black, the cross belt and the wing-coverts are white and have black spots.

Occurrence

They are often found at the edges of deciduous forests (especially old beech forests ), coniferous mixed forests and subalpine fir forests in the low and hilly. The species is widespread in the Alps to the Subalpinzone. The distribution area extends into central Europe as far north as Denmark, Norway and Finland to the south and on the middle part of Sweden and the Caucasus. In the British Isles, the species is only found locally.

Way of life

The beetles are found on dry twigs. The larvae develop, among others, in the dry, but not debarked branches and thin trunks of beech, oak, linden, hornbeam and fruit trees. The beetles withdraw from may and july appearance.