About Chalcophora japonica (Gory, 1840)
Chalcophora japonica, called ubatamamushi in Japanese (Japanese kanji: 姥玉虫, katakana: ウバタマムシ; literally translated as 'nanny jewel bug'), is also commonly known as the flat-headed wood-borer. It is a metallic, bullet-shaped woodboring beetle that belongs to the Buprestidae family, and it is endemic to Japan. This species is most commonly found on the Japanese islands of Honshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū. Its white, legless larvae are tadpole-shaped and grow between 8 and 50 millimetres (0.3–2.0 inches) in length. Adult beetles reach 24 to 40 millimetres (0.9–1.6 inches) in length, and have brown and black stripes with gold flecks running along the full length of their bodies. Chalcophora japonica is active from May through August. It is attracted to sunlight, prefers to fly during the hottest part of the day, and feeds on young buds and tree leaves. The larvae of this species are well adapted for woodboring: they are flattened along the dorsal side and have a broad thorax. Females lay roughly 75 eggs in bark crevices, on wounded trees, and sometimes in the exposed beams of older houses, where the species becomes a serious pest. Larvae tunnel under tree bark and feed actively on wood. The larval stage of this beetle can last for many years. Occasionally, Wolbachia bacteria selectively kill male embryos of the species, which leads to a low number of males in the affected population. Females without access to males can reproduce asexually via parthenogenesis.
