Tuart longicorn beetle

tuart longicorn beetle

Tuart Longicorn Beetle and holes made in branch

The tuart longicorn beetle Phoracantha impavida is a native beetle in the Cerambycidae family. It is up to 2 cm long with long antennae that reach to the back legs. The adult beetles are active from October to December, flying at night and sometimes attracted to light. They are active for several weeks and then mate, with the female laying eggs in the thinner bark of tree branches, usually but not always tuarts. The adults then die, and the eggs hatch soon after. The larva is off-white and wrinkled. It burrows through the bark, often ringbarking the branch. It may feed on the tree for 12 months, and usually chews its way out when it reaches adulthood, leaving oval exit holes about 20mm in diameter.