Feeding preferences of members of the primitive and rare forest pests within tribe Xylosteini Reitter (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lepturinae) in Türkiye with their new and all known host plants and distributional data

Abstract

The detection of cerambycids and their feeding preferences within the natural ecosystems is of great ecological and economic importance. Accordingly, the paper presents collectively all taxa of the primitive, rare and hardly studied tribe Xylosteini Reitter in Türkiye with new data on their feeding preferences and distribution patterns for the first time. The available specimens were collected from localities in Artvin, Bolu, Gümüşhane, Kırklareli, Samsun and Sivas provinces of Türkiye in 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2022. As a result, it is determined that Turkish Xylosteini includes four species of two genera. All of them are rare species. Abies nordmanniana (Pinaceae) and Fagus orientalis (Fagaceae) are determined as new host plant species for Xylosteus kadleci Miroshnikov. Accordingly, at least five or six host plants for each species are determined with the present study. According to the present study, the members of the genus Leptorhabdium Kraatz are preferred deciduous trees only, while the members of the genus Xylosteus Frivaldszky von Frivald are preferred both deciduous and also coniferous trees. Besides, detailed distribution data with figures show provincial and regional distribution patterns of all species are also given. Apparently, the genus Leptorhabdium seems to be represented only by L. caucasicum in North-Eastern Anatolia of Türkiye, while the genus Xylosteus seems to be represented by X. spinolae in European Türkiye (=Thrace), by X. kadleci in North-Western Anatolia of Türkiye, and by X. caucasicola in North-Eastern Anatolia of Türkiye.