The two-banded longhorn beetle (Rhagium bifasciatum) is considered to be one of the most common longhorn beetles in Europe but the United Kingdom is bordering on the more northerly part of its range and so, whilst not rare, it is not so frequent as a couple of other 'longhorns', the spotted longhorn and the wasp beetle. It is easily identified by the two yellow bars on the wing cases (the elytra) although the exact shape of the bars can vary between individuals.
In common with other longhorn beetles the eggs are laid in rotting wood and the larvae bore their way through it digesting it as they go and contribute to the breaking down and recycling of the timber; most beetles are part of the natural recycling process in one way or another. This species has a preference for conifers and so, despite the many conifer plantations in Dorset, this is not an ideal place for them as most trees are harvested long before they die, fall and start to rot down.
The adults feed on plant pollen, often, but not exclusively, on the pollen from conifers near to where they lived as a larva.
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