Four-banded Long-horn Beetle

Leptura quadrifasciata

Common & localized in Britain.

Seen during the Summer months.

Adult beetles are black with four more or less continuous transverse yellow bands.

In extreme cases the elytra may be almost entirely black.

Larvae make meandering galleries in various trees, including oak, beech, birch, willow, alder, elder and spruce; typically in dead and decaying trees, with a preference for damp areas.

The life cycle lasts two to three years.