Some people are extremely allergic to the sting, needing fast medical attention to deal with the toxin. Adults are reddish brown to black and very slender. The Powder Post Beetle damages seasoned hardwoods such as in flooring, furniture and structural woods. The larva, living in and eating the wood, can take up to four years to develop. Their presence is often indicated by piles of fine dust and by small exit holes in the wood.
Control requires treatment by fumigation or replacement of the infested wood.
Their antennae are very long, often exceeding the length of the body. Eggs are laid in crevices of the bark of cut logs. The whitish larva take 3-5 years or more, eating through the wood. During quiet times, their feeding may be heard as clicking and rasping sounds. These are social insects living in colonies in the soil.