Wharfborer
Nacerdes malamura
Appearance
- 7–14mm in length.
- Yellow brown with tips of elytra (wing case) black.
- 3 ridges along the length of the elytra.
Lifecycle
- Eggs are laid on damp, decaying timber.
- Larvae bore through wood for about 9 months then emerge in Summer.
Habits
- Larvae require wood to be constantly wetted so that fungi break down the wood fibres.
- Two main sources of infestation in buildings — structural timbers where rainwater leakage occurs, and pieces of timber buried below concrete foundations, paths and pedestrian precincts.