The vernacular name comes from the strong 'goaty' odour of the caterpillar.
Overwinters three or four times as larva and in a cocoon in the final year.
The larvae feed internally by boring through the bark and heartwood of a wide variety of broadleaved trees. They are normally found in old or damaged trees where they can gain access more easily.
Riverbanks, fens and marshes. Favours low lying damp situations prone to flooding.
There are no records in the system yet in Bulgaria.