Rosalia longicorn (Rosalia alpina), on the bark of a dead beech tree in Abruzzo, central Italy

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This Rosalia longicorn (Rosalia alpina) was photographed on the trunk of a dead beech tree in Abruzzo, central Italy. They measure up to 38 mm in length and the extremely long antennae can be up to twice as long as the rest of the body in males, and the same length in females. They are blue-grey in colour, with black spots on the back. This colouring can help them camouflage against the dead bark of European Beech trees. Their numbers are declining rapidly across Europe in recent years, and the Rosalia longicorn is now a protected species in several European countries. The adults are active from June to September. After mating, the female lays the eggs in the bark of a beech - after about three years the larvae pupate and later emerge as mature adults.

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Size: 4672px × 3104px
Location: Abruzzo National Park, central Italy
Photo credit: © Paul Harris / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: alpina, beech, beetle, colourful, declining, longhorn, longicorn, protected, rosalia