This species belongs to the family of longicorns, Cerambycidae. Hylotrupes bajulus is the only species in the monotypic Hylotrupes genus. It goes by other common names such as house longhorn beetle and old house beetle. The species originated in Europe and now has a cosmopolitan distribution. It has been introduced in Australia in the last 50 years in softwood timbers and prefabricated houses of softwood. Due to quarantine measures and fumigation of imported softwood, this species has not been established.

Morphology

The adult beetles are dark brown and about 8–20 mm long. They are brown to back in colour and may appear grey because of the fine white patches of hair on their bodies. They have two hairless round nodules on their pronotum, which is a defining characteristic of the species. Moreover, their elytra are two whitish spots.  They have shorter antennae than those of typical longicorns. The appearance of the adults in this species is variable.