Aug 14, 2014
#553 - Ernobius mollis - Pine Bark Anobiid
The work of the tiny Anobiid beetle Enorbius mollis, a relative of the furniture and Deathwatch beetles, and originally a Northern European species, and now pretty much worldwide
The beetles lay their eggs on conifers with the bark still intact, and the larvae burrow up to 50mm in from there, but usually limit themselves to the sapwood. A minor pest of sawn timber but cause no structural damage and are of little economic importance.
Mount Helena, NW of Perth