Great capricorn beetle
Cerambyx cerdo
The larvae of this beetle can spend up to five years tunneling through a single tree before emerging as adults.
- Scientific name
- Cerambyx cerdo
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Coleoptera › Cerambycidae › Cerambyx
- IUCN Red List status
- Vulnerable
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Sun-exposed old-growth deciduous forests, particularly those dominated by ancient oak trees.
- Diet
- Larvae are xylophagous, boring into heartwood; adults feed on fermenting tree sap and ripe fruit.
- Range
- Europe, North Africa, Caucasus, Asia Minor
- Size
- 41-55 mm in body length, with antennae reaching up to 100 mm.
- Lifespan
- 3-5 years (including larval stage); adults live 3-5 weeks.
- Active
- crepuscular
- Threats
- Loss of habitat, intensive forestry practices, and the removal of dying or dead wood (sanitary felling).
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. Though its large mandibles can deliver a mechanical pinch if handled roughly, it possesses no venom or sting. Best observed resting on sun-warmed oak bark; maintain a respectful distance to avoid startling it into flight.
The Cerambyx cerdo , commonly known as great capricorn beetle , is a species of beetle in family Cerambycidae. It is widespread in Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Moldova, Morocco, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
Photo: Gilles San Martin, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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