Striped Wax Beetle - Trichius fasciatus L.
The beetle is black, almost matte, covered in dense and long grayish-white or yellowish erect hairs. The body length is 10–13 mm. The female has typical chalky-white spots on the sides of the pronotum, while the male occasionally has a similar transverse double spot on the underside of the abdomen. The outer black spots and bands on the elytra may connect and merge, completely displacing the yellow color. Despite this variability in coloration, this beetle has a distinct type that allows for identification—so characteristic are the locations of the spots and stripes. The middle tibiae of the wax beetle have a strong spine on the outside.
They are found in pine forests, on clearings in broadleaf forests, and in meadows (in the forest zone), both in plains and mountains. They are commonly found in the taiga and mixed broadleaf forest zones.
Beetles are active from early June to the first half of September. They are diurnal and feed on the flowers of various plants. They are especially often found on the flowers of umbrella plants, elderberries, daisies, meadowsweet, wild roses, and other plants.
They can damage the flowers of fruit trees (apple trees) and roses by gnawing at the stamens and pistils; however, the harm they cause is negligible.
Beetles lay their eggs in decayed wood and stumps, where the larvae develop. Their clusters have been found in wood species such as birch and aspen.
The larva is characterized by a not particularly thick, C-shaped body. The head is matte, finely wrinkled, brown-yellow, widest in the middle, with a round black eye at the base of each antenna. The antennae are quite thick, with the length of their segments only slightly exceeding their thickness. The legs are rather short, bearing small, curved, sharp claws. The body length of the 3rd instar larva can reach up to 40 mm, with a head length of 3.2 mm and a head width of 4 mm.
Pupation occurs in the wood where the larva lived, in the spring, after a single wintering, meaning that the beetles have a one-year generation.
Distribution: Western Tien Shan, the Pre-Fergana regions of Kyrgyzstan.
Insects of Kyrgyzstan
