Longicorno Morimus asper

Strong, unhurried

Among fallen logs, stumps and piles of wood that smell of mature forest, lives one of the largest, most fascinating and robust insects in our fauna: the longhorn beetle. 
It is very strong, but equally slow. 
When disturbed, it can emit shrill sounds by rubbing the joints of its thorax.
It is a saproxylic beetle, i.e. an insect that lives on decaying wood.
Its larvae spend years inside dead beech, oak or chestnut trunks, digging tunnels: in this way, they help to decompose the wood and return useful nutrients to the soil. nbsp;
Its presence indicates the good health of the forest: where it is found, dead wood still plays an important role in natural cycles! 
It reminds us that dead wood is not “forest rubbish”, but a treasure trove of biodiversity: it is home to fungi, larvae, mosses and a whole chain of organisms that keep the soil fertile and support the balance of the ecosystem.

---

Listen to audio file: