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Anobium punctatum

Woodworm Anobium punctatum

Description

Adult beetles are 3-4 mm in size. Their body is cylindrical, and the front part of the shield covers the head so much that it is barely visible. It is uniformly brown to black, only the legs and antennae are a bit lighter. On the elytras, there are dots arranged in stripes. It is found mainly in residential buildings but also lives in the forests. It attacks mainly coniferous wood, less so deciduous wood (furniture, musical instruments, beams, windows, doors, cabinets, floors...). It usually gets into homes and apartments with firewood intended for the fireplace! Adult beetles emerge from the wood in June and July. They live only a few weeks. After mating, the female lays about 20 to 60 eggs, mostly into wood where previous generations hatched. The hatched larvae bore longitudinal tunnels in the wood, which are predominantly oriented along the fibers. The length of an adult larva reaches 4mm and has legs and a "C" shape. The width of its tunnel is around 2-2.3 mm. The development takes 1-3 years and depends on the surrounding temperature and humidity, and on the nutritive value of the wood. The larvae firmly plug the tunnels behind them with feces mixed with wood sawdust.