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The beetle's appearance is very similar to those of A. anxius. Adults have blackish elytra, which tends to have an indistinct coppery reflection and may have a pair of indistinct pubescent spots. The claws are more loosely attached, than in anxius, showing more membrane at their base. The bases of the claws in anxius tend to be swollen compared to liragus. The pygidial spine on female liragus projects strongly and is rather cylindrical. The elytral tips tend to be more strongly serrate and acutely pointed in female liragus than in female anxius. Males may be identified by aedeagal structure. This species may be identified on host plant association, aspen and poplars.

The life history is similar to A. anxius. Females prefer to oviposit on dying or severely damaged trees. On hatching the larvae bore into the cambial layer, mining chiefly in the phloem. Galleries tend to wander and meander. Pupal chambers are often made in the xylem or thick bark. Adults emerge in the spring, feeding on poplar leaves before mating and oviposition. The lifecycle is typically two years (Barter, 1965; Baker, 1972)