Adult beetles are 8–30 mm long reddish-brown to black, while males are generally smaller and lighter in colour.

The thread-like antennae are half to three-quarters of the body length, longer in males.

[4] Arhopalus ferus prefers dead or dying Pinus and Picea injured by fire or other damage but rarely it will develop in healthy trees.

[4] Larvae hatch in about 10 days and bore towards the inner layers with preference for phloem and cambium but sometimes eat sapwood.

[3] Arhopalus ferus naturally occurs across Europe, northern Asia (except Japan), and North Africa.