Ropalopus ungaricus Herbst, 1784

family CERAMBYCIDAE Latreille, 1802
subfamily Cerambycinae Latreille, 1802
tribe Callidiini Kirby, 1837
genus Ropalopus Mulsant, 1839
ungaricus Herbst, 1784

Ropalopus ungaricus Herbst, 1784

Distribution:
EUROPE - AL AU BH BU CR CZ FR GE HU IT MC PL RO SK SL SZ YU UK NORTH AFRICA - AG

Ropalopus ungaricus is a rare and endangered mountainous European species. It develops in living or dying Acer pseudoplatanus (cf. Figure 1). The adult beetles are not easy to find as they usually sit on leaves or bark in the canopy region of the host trees, and the larvae too, can be difficult to find. The only hallmark of the beetle's presence is a wounded region in the living bark of the host (cf. Figure 2) clearly visible shortly after the beetle has hatched. However, even this can disappear quite quickly, as a result of the the tree's ability to heal these wounds to some extent.

Body length: 16 - 24 mm
Life cycle: 2 years
Adults in: June - August
Host plant: polyphagous in deciduous trees, but strongly preferring maple (Acer)
Distribution: Central and SE Europe, Italy, France