About Rhagium bifasciatum Fabricius, 1775
Rhagium bifasciatum, sometimes called the two-banded longhorn beetle, is one of the most common longhorn beetle species found in Europe, Turkey, and the Caucasus. It is not present in the far north-east of Europe, or on some offshore islands including Malta. Adult individuals can grow up to 22 millimetres (0.87 in) in length. The species can usually be identified by two prominent pale yellow bands on each of its elytra, though up to seventeen different elytral patterns have been recognised for this species. Like other longhorn beetles, R. bifasciatum lays its eggs in dead wood, most commonly dead wood from coniferous trees. After hatching, the larvae bore deep, broad tunnels through the wood, and take around two years to develop before they are ready to pupate. Adult R. bifasciatum feed on a wide variety of both coniferous and broad-leaved trees.
