F-519911 
FIGURE 38.—Adult of the southern lyctus beetle, Lyctus planicollis. 
Full-grown larvae are yellowish-white and about 3 to 5 mm. long. 
Usually there is only one generation per year, but under certain 
conditions, a generation may be completed in 3 to 4 months or less. 
Heaviest emergence and egg laying usually occur during late 
ae or early spring. Winter is spent in the larval stage (139, 
VG) 
Lyctus linearis Goeze, probably an introduced species, occurs 
throughout the United States. In the eastern half of the country 
it is commonly encountered in commercial hardwood products, 
especially in seasoned hickory, oak, ash, and walnut. It is often 
quite destructive. The adult is brown or reddish-brown and about 
2.5 to 5 mm. long. The pronotum is almost square; the elytra are 
wider than the pronotum and are almost three times as long as 
wide. The interspace is composed of a single row of large, ovoid 
punctations, separated by single rows of fine hairs on the carinu- 
lae. There is a fringe of fine hairs on the fifth sternite in both 
sexes. 
Other species of Lyctus frequently encountered in eastern 
United States include L. cavicollis LeC.; the western lyctus beetle, 
L. opaculus LeC.; and L. brunneus (Stephens), the Old World 
lyctus beetle. The following distinguishing characteristics should 
be helpful in identifying them: (1) L. cavicollis—elytral striae 
composed of two rows of punctations. A triangular patch of hairs 
on each side of median line of apical portion of fifth sternite of 
female. (2) Western lyctus beetle—two or more rows of puncta- 
tions separated by carinulae bearing fine hairs in the elytral inter- 
space. The fifth sternite of the male rounded, with a broad fringe 
of short hairs on the apical margin. (8) Old World lyctus beetle— 
all carinulae of the elytra bear single rows of fine sparse hair 
with longitudinal rows of hairs between interspaces. The fifth 
abdominal sternite of the female bears a “pencil” of hairs. 
The genus Trogoxylon LeC. is represented in eastern United 
States by three species. The adults are similar to those of the 
genus Lyctus. They differ in having the femur of the metathoracic 
leg enlarged and the pubescense of the elytra confused (285). 
130 
