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Wood Borer Species
Wood damaging pests can attack expensive antiques and even a building’s structural components. Knowing the type of wood boring beetles involved can help determine the most effective control methods.
Longhorn Beetle
(Cerambycidae)
Appearance
- Adult beetle is 10–25 mm in length.
- Black/brown colour with greyish hairs and 2 black spots on thorax which resemble eyes.
- Larva is greyish white in colour and can grow up to 35 mm when fully developed.
Habits
- Female lays eggs in cracks and crevices of wood.
- Larva tunnels between sapwood and bark; subsequently moves deeper into the wood as it matures.
- Larva creates a hole before it pupates and leaves wood fibres out of the hole.
- Often found infesting dying trees or abandoned logs.
Powder Post Beetle
(Lyctus brunneus)
Appearance
- Adult beetle is flattened and elongated with 1–7 mm in length.
- Reddish to dark brown in colour.
- Larva is white in colour, slightly curved and can measure up to 5mm when fully developed.
- Newly hatched larva is straight, extremely slender and less than 1 mm long.
Life Cycle
- Under favourable condition, it takes 9–12 months to fully develop.
- Adult lives 1–3 months.
Habits
- Usually attacks wood that is dry, untreated with chemicals and rich in starch, namely Rubberwood, Ramin, Jelutong, Penarahan, Merbau and Kempas.
Pinhole Borer
Appearance
- Adult beetle is very small, 1–2 mm in length.
- Elongate, cylindrical shaped and predominantly chestnut-brown or dark brown in colour.
- Mature larva is creamy white in colour, cylindrical shaped with yellowish head.
Habits
- Digs into wood to construct galleries where they produce fungi for its larva to feed on.
- Often found infesting wood such as logs and timbers when it is still 'green' before it has been dried.
Jewel Beetle
Appearance
- Adult beetle is 2–20 mm in length.
- Bright metallic colours with flattened bodies and an elliptical outline.
Life Cycle
- Larva usually takes 1–2 years to mature.
- Adult beetle has short life span, usually living 3–5 months.
Habits
- Larva burrows into the heartwood of living or freshly felled trees.
- Larva creates a hole before it pupates and leaves wood fibres out the hole.
- Often found infesting abandoned trees and logs.
Shothole Borer
Appearance
- Adult beetle length can goes up to 3 mm and cigarette-shaped.
- Dark brown to black in colour with reddish brown legs and antenna.
- Larva is white in colour, curve shaped and can grow up to 3 mm long.
Life Cycle
- Female lays up to 50 eggs.
- Larva takes 6–8 weeks to fully develop.
Habits
- Often attack logs and timbers.