Red-necked Longhorn Beetle

The red-necked longhorn beetle is native to Asia and is a pest of the Prunus genus.

Red-necked longhorn beetle is not known to be in the UK but has been accidentally introduced to Germany and Italy. A few individuals were found in the UK in 2008, they were found in wooden pallets but were caught before an outbreak could occur. The prunus genus contains a lot of fruiting species such as plum, cherry, apricot and peach, meaning this pest is economically important. 

The beetle causes damage during its larval stage, it spends most of its life inside the tree, making an infestation difficult to spot. The beetle lays its eggs in bark crevices or lichen, once hatched the larvae tunnel into the tree. This damages the trees water and nutrient transport systems. Signs of the beetle include discoloured, wilting and dying foliage, dieback, piles of frass (a sawdust like material) around the base of the tree and oval exit holes in the bark (6-12mm wide). This pest can also be found as an adult, the adult beetles are quite large, typically 20mm-40mm long, with long black antennae with a red band just below the head. For more information on red-necked longhorn beetle please see the resources below.