# Black Longicorn Beetle (*Spondylis buprestoides*)

The Black Longicorn Beetle is a shiny black bug with long antennae. It loves to hide in trees and is often found in forests. These beetles are great at blending in with their surroundings!

- **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Forests

![Black Longicorn Beetle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Spondylis-buprestoides-05-VIII-2007-19.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Botaurus stellaris, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spondylis-buprestoides-05-VIII-2007-19.jpg)

## Appearance

The Black Longicorn Beetle is a robust, entirely matte black beetle with a distinctly textured body. It has relatively short, serrated antennae for a longicorn, and an elongated, somewhat flattened shape, visually differing from shinier or more colorful beetles.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Insecta
- **Order:** Coleoptera
- **Family:** Cerambycidae
- **Genus:** Spondylis

## Interesting facts

- Adult beetles often emerge during hot summer days to find a mate.
- Its antennae, while short for a longhorn, are great for sensing chemicals.
- Larvae can spend up to five years hidden inside a dead tree trunk!
- These beetles are like tiny forest recyclers, turning wood into soil.

## Special abilities

- **Wood-Boring Jaws:** Black Longicorn Beetle larvae can chew through tough wood because of strong mandibles that help them create tunnels.
- **Hidden Larval Life:** Black Longicorn Beetle has a long larval stage hidden deep inside wood that helps them avoid predators for years.
- **Mating Scents:** Black Longicorn Beetle can release special airborne scents because of glands that help them attract mates over distances.
- **Decomposer Power:** Black Longicorn Beetle larvae can break down dead wood because of specialized enzymes that help them recycle forest nutrients.

## Measurements & details

- **Wingspan:** 25-60 mm
- **Size:** 15-30 mm
- **Lifespan:** 30-90 days
- **Leg Count:** 6

## Diet & Feeding

Young beetles munch on dead wood, helping recycle it, while adults usually don't eat much.

- **Age differences:** Larvae feed exclusively on decaying wood; adults are short-lived and generally do not feed, or consume only small amounts of sap.
- **Primary Foods:** Dead conifer wood, Fungus-decayed wood, Pine sap (adults rarely)
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Depends on:** [Scots Pine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/scots-pine) (*Pinus sylvestris*) — Provides dead wood for larvae to eat.
- **Eaten by:** [Great Spotted Woodpecker](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-spotted-woodpecker) (*Dendrocopos major*) — Hunts larvae in wood.
- **Parasitizes:** Sabre Wasp (*Rhyssa persuasoria*) — Lays eggs on larvae inside wood.

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators.
- [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Be gentle and watch where you step to avoid hurting small insects like beetles.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Black Longicorn Beetle?

Look for hard wing covers meeting in a line down the back, then compare the antennae, body shape, legs and markings. Metallic colors shift a lot with lighting. Beetle Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### What is Black Longicorn Beetle's wingspan?

25-60 mm

### How big is Black Longicorn Beetle?

15-30 mm

### How long does Black Longicorn Beetle live?

30-90 days

### What does Black Longicorn Beetle eat?

Young beetles munch on dead wood, helping recycle it, while adults usually don't eat much.

### Where is Black Longicorn Beetle usually found?

Forests

### How does Black Longicorn Beetle hunt?

Foraging

### How many legs does Black Longicorn Beetle have?

6

## More Insects

- [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*)
- [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*)
- [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*)
- [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*)

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Source: [Black Longicorn Beetle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-longicorn-beetle)