Identification
The female of this beetle will lay eggs in any damp, decaying timber, which has been attacked by fungus. The eggs are creamy white in colour, slightly curved with tapered ends. The larvae, also creamy white, is equipped with brown mandibles, ready to bore into the timber and feed on the wood. The adult insects are around 10–12 mm in length, yellowish to reddish orange in colour, with a long slender body and antennae half of its body length. The adult beetles can emerge from under the floor of buildings in quite large numbers, causing the occupants to think they may be being invaded by cockroaches. The beetles themselves are quite harmless. They may be distinguished from cockroaches by the black band across the end of both elytra. Another distinguishing feature is the three raised longitudinal lines on each wing case - a feature common to all beetles in the family Oedemeridae. There are only seven species of this family in the UK. In general, in size and form they resemble Soldier Beetles found on flowers.
Read more about this topic: Wharf Borer