Rosalia longicorn

Rosalia longicorn (Rosalia alpina)

This rare and protected beetle grows from 15 to 38 millimetres long. Its grey-blue body is covered with hairs and there is a pattern of black spots on the body. It has three black spots on its caps, with the largest spot in the middle. It also has a black and blue pattern on its legs and tentacles. The tentacles are twice as long as the body. The male has longer tentacles than the female.

The Alpine goat produces a sound similar to a whine. This attracts females. After mating, the female lays her eggs in the cracks of bark, on logs and decaying wood. The eggs develop into larvae, which live in the tree for up to 3 years. After this period, they pupate and emerge as adults in late spring.

The Alpine goat beetle is mainly threatened by the lack of suitable habitat due to intensive forest management. Beech trees do not live to a ripe old age, the wood does not remain in the forest and the larvae are therefore unable to fully develop.

Source: Pixabay

• These interesting beetles appear from June to September.
• They live for only 3 to 6 weeks, during which time they reproduce and eventually die.
• The adult Alpine goat beetle feeds on pollen, plant sap and leaves, while the larva feeds on wood and bark.

DID YOU KNOW?   

1. Grasshoppers are a large family of beetles, with around 35,000 species known today. The largest species can reach up to 15 centimetres without tentacles.   
2. There are more than 220 species of goat beetles in Slovenia. The largest of these is the Strigous, or oak goat moth. The most unwanted is the house goat, which is the best-known pest of building timber