| Longhorn
beetles are widespread in Australian forests and can easily be
recognised by their very long antennae (pronounced antennee)
which are often much longer than the beetle's body. The
adults are nectar and pollen feeders which the grubs (or larvae -
pronounced larvee) bore through wood and feed on the living
bark of trees.
It is the feeding habit of the
grubs that has made the Eucalypt Longicorn beetle famous all over
the world. Almost everywhere that there are plantations of
eucalypts (Europe, North America, South America and southern
Africa) it seems that this beetle has managed to take up residence
and cause enormous damage to young trees. This problem is
virtually unknown in Australia but in countries where there is no
competition and no natural predators the Eucalypt Longicorn has
become very abundant.
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