About Lacon punctatus (Herbst, 1779)
Lacon punctatus (Herbst, 1779) adults can reach a length of 13–21 millimetres (0.51–0.83 in). Their body is black, flat, and covered with hair, marked with small white spots formed by white scales; the specific epithet punctatus comes from these spots. Both adults and larvae inhabit old fallen logs and under the bark of decaying trees, and they prefer conifers, especially species in the genus Pinus. These beetles are often found living alongside ants. Adults are nocturnal and can be found year-round. Lacon punctatus larvae are cylindrical and elongated, with three pairs of legs. The forepart of the larval body is reddish brown and strongly sclerotized, while the abdomen is white and fleshy. Larvae are active predators that feed on larvae and nymphs of many other insect species that live in rotten wood, mainly preying on the larvae of Stictoleptura rubra. This species occurs in Mediterranean countries, Central Europe, Western Europe, the Caucasus, Crimea, the Near East, and North Africa.
