Beech sechko

Beech sechko (Morimus funereus) with its elongated cylindrical body and long antennae is an elegant member of the family Cerambycidae. It is a medium-sized beetle with a grey body and 4 black velvet spots on its elytra. Often when people spot this species on the forest trails, usually deep inside the forest, they can not pass without stopping to examine it. If the beetle is only monitored, without attempting to grab it, it is unlikely to make haste to escape. The species can not fly, only crawls.
Beech sechko has a slender and elongated body the size of 1,6 to 3,8 cm. Antennas longer than the actual body were observed by the males. Fine hair covering the body, gives the effect of velvet, which is clearly visible in the black spots on the shard. The colouring of Morimus funereus has protective function, mimicking the patterns of the beech bark as the specie dwells in the deadwood of beech forests. Although these beetles are found in the whole of Bulgaria, the places they inhabit are strictly localized. Usually these are places inside the forest ecosystems. Adult insects live only a few month and appear from April to August. The larvae feed up to four years on dead wood, thus the species is extremely vulnerable if the dead wood was to be cleared from the forest area.
Except in Bulgaria, Morimus funereus is also found in other parts of Southeast and Central Europe.
Beech sechko (Morimus funereus) is a globally threatened species, categorised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as [color=red]Vulnerable[/color].

Bojana Ribarova