Photo © M.Hoskovec
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According to Rejzek and Rébl (1999) the biology of Anoplodera rufipes
resembles to some extent that of Pedostrangalia revestita and
Anisarthron barbipes and larvae of these three species frequently occur
together. The host plant of Anoplodera rufipes is mainly oak in Central Europe. Larvae of this
species feed in dead red-brown and relatively moist wood in close contact with living tissue, such as the
bases of dead branches surrounded by living callus. Later-instar larvae penetrate into the drier part of
the dead substrate more distal to the living tissue where they also pupate. This area of the larval substrate
differs visibly from the moist wood in its fungal infestation, and is consequently of a different colour;
usually yellow white. The pupal cell generally lies near the surface of the dead wood, and
as a result, the freshly hatched beetle needs to make only a short exit gallery. On the
contrary, the entire development of Pedostrangalia revestita, including pupation, takes
place in the moist red-brown substrate, frequently deep behind the living tissue, and the
adult exit gallery is, usually, therefore substantially longer. Moreover, in the case of
Pedostrangalia revestita the pupal cell as well as the larval galleries are filled with long
red wood fibres created by the larvae. Larvae of Anoplodera rufipes never create these fibres.
| Body length: | 7 - 12 mm |
| Life cycle: | 2 years |
| Adults in: | May - June |
| Host plant: | polyphagous in deciduous trees (Quercus...) |
| Distribution: | Europe, Caucasus, Turkey, Iran |
The depicted beetles were collected on flowers in Broumy (Central Bohemia, Czech Republic).
Collected by M.Hoskovec
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