Spondylis buprestoides, Palaearctic species distributed from Portugal to Japan, is due to its unusual habit for a longhorn beetle a quite unmistakable. It is a widespread and still abundant species in European pine forests. Larval development mainly in stumps and lower parts of dead standing pines and their root growths, also in the underground parts. Larvae bore galleries in sapwood and often in heartwood. Larval development takes at least two years, overwintering as a larva. The pupal cell is situared often very deep in the heartwood. Adults, active from May to September, are mainly crepuscular and nocturnal. Beetles are usually hidden under the pieces of wood, logs or bark, but they also fly during the day, especially on warm summer days [▽].

Spondylis buprestoides has been described from "Europa" as Attelabus buprestoides by Carl Linné in 1758 [✧].

Body length:	♂♂ 10 - 23 mm / ♀♀ 14 - 26 mm
Life cycle:	at least 2 years
Adults in:	May - September (depends on locality and altitude)
Host plant:	polyphagous in coniferous trees, but strongly prefers pines (Pinus spp.), rarely in Picea, Abies and Larix
Distribution:	coniferous forests of almost whole Palaearctic region from Portugal to Japan

The mounted specimens were collected in Förk environs (1030 m a.s.l., Nötsch im Gailtal, Villach district, Carinthia, Austria) on August 9, 2014.

The depicted living beetle were photographed in Krušná hora ridge in Broumy Village environs (Beroun District, Central Bohemia, Czechia) on June 19, 2018 and in Zahořany village environs (Králův Dvůr, Beroun District, Central Bohemia, Czechia) on June 29, 2013.

Collected by David Navrátil and Daniel Rydzi