| Lyctus brunneus | |
|---|---|
| Lyctus brunneus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Superfamily: | Bostrichoidea |
| Family: | Bostrichidae |
| Subfamily: | Lyctinae |
| Tribe: | Lyctini |
| Genus: | Lyctus |
| Species: | L. brunneus |
| Binomial name | |
| Lyctus brunneus (Stephens, 1830) |
|
Lyctus brunneus is a species of beetle in the family Bostrichidae (formerly in the family Lyctidae, which is now a subfamily of Bostrichidae), with a worldwide distribution, being present in tropical Africa, Oceania, the Palearctic (including Europe), the Nearctic, the Neotropics, North Africa and East Asia. It is absent from the Near East. In Europe, it is found in Austria, the Azores Islands, Belgium, the British Isles, the Canary Islands, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, mainland Denmark, Finland, mainland France, Germany, mainland Greece, the Republic of Ireland, mainland Italy, Malta, mainland Norway, Poland, mainland Portugal, northern Russia, Sardinia, Slovakia, mainland Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
In the UK it is known as the Powder Post beetle, due to leaving a pile of powder when boring into wood.
It will attack the dead woods of oak, chestnut, ash and elm, although these become less susceptible with age, and by 15 years will no longer be attacked by it. Dead Softwoods are immune to the beetle. [1]