The Longhorn Beetle Recording Scheme promotes the identification and recording of one of Britain’s most spectacular families of beetles, Cerambycidae.

Members of the public, amateur, and professional entomologists are encouraged to submit records via iRecord or the iRecord app, which is free and hosted by the Biological Records Center (BRC).

Longhorn beetles belong to the family Cerambycidae. Many of the species have interesting patterns comprising of a variety of colours, and are generally larger insects. In Britain there are more than 70 species.

The following four subfamilies are present in Britain;

• Prioninae
• Lepturinae
• Spondylidinae
• Cerambycidae

Several features identify longhorn beetles, most noticeably the long antennae which most species have.

Most longhorn beetles are wood-borers of coniferous and deciduous wood. In Britain several species, Phytoecia and Agapanthia, feed on plant material. Pseudovadonia livida is unusual with the larvae developing within fungal mycelia in the soil. Frequently non-native species are found after emerging from imported timber products, sometimes several years after being imported.

Longhorn beetles are active between March / April until September, although some species are can be found as adults all year round, such as Pogonocherus species by beating dead ivy over winter. Hawthorn flowers are very attractive to longhorn beetles. Beating the blossoms over an upturned umbrella produces many species. Hogweed flowers are also worth checking for species which weren’t active earlier in the spring. Light traps can also attract species such as the one pictured above. Often, longhorn beetles can turn up in seemingly random places, such as bus stops and in the car.