This tunneling process usually occurs within the early summer months of November and December. Fungal species, particularly ambrosia fungi, serve as the primary food for the beetle, which gives the name of the nickname to the beetle, 'Ambrosia Beetles'. The life cycle begins with a male adult boring a tunnel into a host tree and releasing fungal spores along the way. In addition, their tunnels, which go deep into the wood, create imperfections in the finished timber, which also weakens it. It vectors fungi that develop into the wood, altering its color. Platypus apicalis can be a pest in high-quality timber plantations. The beetles occur commonly along the North Island, South Island and Chatham Island, however, has not spotted in some eastern forests such as Balmoral and Eyrewell State forests, Canterbury Economic significance Their nests are more likely to kill the part of living tree. Their main pest area is the forestry plantations where they colonise and render some high-quality timber useless due to imperfections and colour change in the timber. They are considered pests at times to native forests but only when they threaten healthy trees. Platypus resides in the dead wood of the tree but when numbers grow due to sufficient breeding material, healthy trees are threatened by their invasion. The beetle has no preference for hard or soft wood as it resides inside the Beech trees and some Eucalyptus species. Pathogenic fungi which can infect or even kill live tree is carried by insects. Ambrosia fungi provide food that they depend on. Few fungi are related to pinhole borer closely, they benefit beetles in different ways. Platypus apicalis appear in dead tissues surrounding trees and larvae. The habitat preference of this species is predominantly dead beech wood forest, including Red Beech, Silver Beech and Black beech.

More specifically, it occurs on the West coast of the South Island and the centre of the North Island in natural beech wood forests and in certain exotic plantations, such as these of eucalyptus. Platypus apicalis only occurs in New Zealand. At this stage the mandibles begin to orient downward and ridges start to appear on the top of the prothorax. In contrast, fully grown larvae are white, cylindrical and legless with yellow coloured heads. Young larvae are flat and have fleshy projections on sides. Įggs are round, less than 1 mm in diameter, and have a creamy appearance. Females have not been found to release this scent. Adult males release a strong and distinguishable odor to attract a female upon digging a breeding gallery. The body of females is more pubescent than this of males, lack elytral teeth, and have a more rounded shape. The elytrae of males bear tooth like projections at their posterior end. Platypus apicalis exhibits sexual dimorphism. The elytra bear parallel longitudinal grooves, are mainly smooth but pubescent at their rear end and sides, and are sloping downward at their posterior end. A narrow longitudinal groove is present on the middle of the pronotum. The mesothoracic wings are modified into a hardened wing case. The terminal segment of the antennae is dorso-ventrally flattened and larger than the other antennal segments. The mandibles of adults are oriented downward. It is less than 2 mmm wide and about 5.8 mm long. The body is cylindrical in cross section and greatly elongated from front to rear. The colour of Platypus apicalis is mainly dark-brown, with yellow basal joint of antennae, metathorax and femora. 'Like all arthropods, Platypus aplicalis is an invertebrate with an external skeleton, segmented body and jointed appendages.

Beetle erebus wiki