Latin: Criocephalus rusticus
The brown wood buck (Criocephalus rusticus) is a common inhabitant of the Danish pine forests throughout the country. The brown wood buck belongs to the genus with the Latin family name Cerambycidae.
Appearance
The adult brown wood buck grows between 15 and 25 millimeters long and has a regular, almost matte brown color. The most striking feature of the brown wooden buck is its large feeler horns, which, is a bit reminiscent of goat horns. At the front of the head, the powerful dark jaws are placed, while at the back of the beetle are two small thorns.
The larvae of the brown wood buck, on the other hand, are pale and they have the clear characteristic that they are widest at the front towards the head.
Biology and behavior
The chance of seeing a brown wood buck is greatest in the period from June to August, when the adult beetles are usually present. It is also during this period that the females lay their eggs. Females most often choose moist pine trees – such as trunks or stumps that have died at the root – as the destination for their laying.
When the larvae hatch, they feed on both the sapwood and the heartwood of the tree. The larvae dig passages in the tree that are wide and have an oval cross section. The small larvae are not in a hurry to get out but can live in the tree for several years before they pupate and undergo development into fully grown brown wood beetles.
When the fully developed brown wood buck is ready to leave the tree, it does so through a fly hole, which it gnaws at the surface of the tree. These fly holes are, like the aisles, oval and measure approximately 5 x 13 millimeters. The passages that the larvae leave behind are filled with drilling dust, which consists of the larvae’s excrement. This flour is so compact that it can be difficult to scrape out of the wood.
Damage
Like so many other types of beetles, the brown wood buck prefers to lay its eggs in wood that is moist. This means that it is often damaged wood that is used for the purpose of the beetle. Wood that is still not very used for construction projects and the like. It can be damp firewood or boards that have been lying at the bottom of the pile of wood. Therefore, a visit from the brown wooden buck is rarely a major problem.
But that does not mean that the beetle’s visit does not cause damage. For larval passages in the wood can of course lead to a technical deterioration of the quality of the wood and thus affect its load-bearing capacity.
Prevention and pest control
The best way to prevent an attack from the brown wood buck is by making sure that wood and woodwork are not affected by moisture damage. Therefore, it is advantageous to ensure good ventilation in areas where the wood may be vulnerable to moisture and thus also to attack by the brown wood buck. A good way to get rid of the beetles and larvae is by drying out the tree in question. If the wood dries out, they cannot survive. It can also be considered to treat the wood with a wood preservative that is effective against insects as well as fungus and rot. Such products can be purchased in timber stores or DIY stores, among other places.
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