Longhorn Beetle Species Research Articles

Global diversity and distribution of longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

Longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is one of the largest, most diverse, ecologically and economically important groups of beetles in the world. In the following paper, through a comprehensive synthesis and review of various sources of data, we have described the general patterns of the distribution of longhorn beetles on the global scale. We found that the vast majority of Cerambycidae diversity is concentrated in two hyper–diverse subfamilies: Lamiinae and Cerambycinae, which together cover 90.5% of all longhorn beetles. Nearly 60% of the global fauna of Cerambycidae is distributed within the Oriental or Neotropical realms. Although the monospecific genera are predominated, most of the taxonomic diversity of longhorn beetles is concentrated on the limited number of large, multi–species genera; only the first 829 richest genera encompass three quarters of the total number of Cerambycidae species. Although the estimated number of described longhorn beetle species (34,490) showed a good agreement with other studies, that figure seems to be far from the actual number, since more than 200 new species are described every year in the recent decade. Most newly–described species originate from Asia and Southern America. The vast majority (88.1%) of the Cerambycidae species were found to be restricted to only one biogeographic realm. The highest number of endemic species can be found in cerambycid fauna of the Australasian, Ethiopian, Madagascan and Neotropical realms. Moreover, our findings highlight the phylogenetic distinctness of the Madagascan fauna of Cerambycidae. More research involving a comprehensive multigene approach is needed to resolve urgent issues regarding both the higher and lower level taxonomy of Cerambycidae and to better understand the factors influencing the distribution and diversification of cerambycids.

Phytoecia (musaria) argus (Frölich, 1793): A new longhorn beetle (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) for the fauna of Serbia

In total, 550 species of longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) exist in Europe. The most recent checklist of Cerambycidae family of Serbia cited 265 species and 92 subspecies, belonging to 109 genera, 48 tribes, and six subfamilies in the country. However, the presence of 28 species reported from Serbia is questionable. Here we present the first finding of Phytoecia (Musaria) argus (Frölich, 1793) for the fauna of Serbia. The species was collected in May and June 2018 on Stol mountain (near the town of Bor, Eastern Serbia). Additionally, data on morphology, bionomy and distribution of the longhorn beetle species are given. With this finding, the total number of longhorn beetle species in Serbia is estimated at 266. This species could be used as an indicator for the assessment of the nature value and conservation status of natural habitats in Serbia and Europe.

Exploiting trap color to improve surveys of longhorn beetles

Longhorn beetles are commonly moved among continents within wood packaging materials used in trades. Visual inspections carried out at points of entry often fail to detect exotic longhorn beetles as infested materials may have little or no sign of colonization. Black-colored traps baited with pheromones and host volatiles are thus used to improve chances of detection. Here we tested whether existing surveillance protocols for longhorn beetles can be further improved using trap colors different than black. Baited traps of eight different colors (i.e., grey, yellow, green, red, blue, brown, purple and black) were deployed in a randomized complete block design at 16 sites in northern Italy in 2019. A total of 6,001 individuals from 56 longhorn beetle species were trapped. In general, yellow and blue traps caught a significantly higher number of longhorn beetle species than black traps. In addition, trap color significantly affected species richness and abundance at the subfamily and species level, with mixed response mostly linked to the habit of visiting flowers for food. Flower-visiting longhorn beetles mainly exhibited clear preference for flower-related colors, i.e., yellow, green and blue, whereas non-flower-visiting species were more attracted by dark and long-wavelength-dominated colors, like red and brown. Our results clearly indicate that generic surveillance programs should not rely exclusively on black traps and that the use of more trap colors can strongly improve the chance of detecting native and exotic longhorn beetles potentially moved with trades.

Factors Affecting the Reproduction and Mass-Rearing of Sclerodermus brevicornis (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae), a Natural Enemy of Exotic Flat-Faced Longhorn Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae).

Simple SummaryNatural enemies play a fundamental role in the control of invasive insects and may be particularly important in controlling Xylopagous beetle, which are difficult to contain with traditional chemicals as they are usually concealed within wood. Among the natural enemies that have proven effective against these beetles are parasitoid species in the genus Sclerodermus. The present article furthers knowledge of Sclerodermus brevicornis performance, focusing on the survival capability under different thermal conditions and the longer-term influences of these conditions.Many species of long-horned beetles are invasive pests causing significant economic damage in agro-forestry systems. They spend the majority of their life-cycle concealed inside natural wood or wooden packaging materials and are largely protected from adverse environmental conditions and pesticide sprays. Biological control via parasitoid natural enemies including members of the bethylid genus Sclerodermus, has proven effective against some long-horned beetles that are invasive in China. In Europe, the biocontrol potential of native Sclerodermus species is being evaluated with a view to developing efficient mass-rearing techniques and then actively deploying them against invasive Asian beetles. Here, we continue evaluations of S. brevicornis by establishing that groups of females that have already reared offspring to emergence are capable of reproducing subsequent hosts and by evaluating the lifetime reproductive capacity of individual females provided with successive hosts. Additionally, we assess the laboratory shelf-life of adult females stored for different times at different temperatures including cold storage, and then assess the post-storage reproductive performance of groups of females provided with a single host. We found that adult female longevity declines with increasing storage temperature and that most aspects of subsequent performance are negatively affected by high temperatures. The adaptability to low temperature storage enhances the suitability of S. brevicornis to mass-rearing programs and thus biocontrol deployment.

A new species of Stizocera Audinet-Serville, 1834 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from Colombia with an updated key to species of the genus and new geographical records in Cerambycinae

A new species of Stizocera (Cerambycinae, Elaphidiini) from Colombia is described and illustrated: Stizocera ruthveronae sp. nov., and an updated key to species of the genus is presented. Moreover, nine species of longhorn beetles of Cerambycinae belonging to Callichromatini, Eburiini, Elaphidiini, Hexoplonini, Neoibidionini, Obriini are reported for the first time for Colombia.

Response of native and exotic longhorn beetles to common pheromone components provides partial support for the pheromone-free space hypothesis.

Longhorn beetles are among the most important groups of invasive forest insects worldwide. In parallel, they represent one of the most well-studied insect groups in terms of chemical ecology. Longhorn beetle aggregation-sex pheromones are commonly used as trap lures for specific and generic surveillance programs at points of entry and may play a key role in determining the success or failure of exotic species establishment. An exotic species might be more likely to establish in a novel habitat if it relies on a pheromone channel that is different to that of native species active at the same time of year and day, allowing for unhindered mate location (i.e., pheromone-free space hypothesis). In this study, we first tested the attractiveness of single pheromone components (i.e., racemic 3-hydroxyhexan-2-one, racemic 3-hydroxyoctan-2-one, and syn-2,3-hexanediol), and their binary and tertiary combinations, to native and exotic longhorn beetle species in Canada and Italy. Second, we exploited trap catches to determine their seasonal flight activity. Third, we used pheromone-baited "timer traps" to determine longhorn beetle daily flight activity. The response to single pheromones and their combinations was mostly species specific but the combination of more than one pheromone component allowed catch of multiple species simultaneously in Italy. The response of the exotic species to pheromone components, coupled with results on seasonal and daily flight activity, provided partial support for the pheromone-free space hypothesis. This study aids in the understanding of longhorn beetle chemical ecology and confirms that pheromones can play a key role in longhorn beetle invasions.

Complex Blends of Synthetic Pheromones are Effective Multi-Species Attractants for Longhorned Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae).

The wood-boring larvae of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) can be important pests of woody plants, particularly as invasive species introduced by international commerce. Previous research has revealed that cerambycid species native to different parts of the world often share the same aggregation-sex pheromones and that pheromones of different species can be combined to create multi-species attractants that would be advantageous for surveillance monitoring for a number of species simultaneously. To explore the extent to which these chemicals can be combined into single lures, we developed four different blends of six to eight compounds and tested their effects as attractants for a community of longhorned beetle species in Iowa. The blends included known pheromones of species native to the study site, as well as pheromones identified from cerambycid species native to other parts of the world. The experiment confirmed that several cerambycid species were attracted by specific blends, in accordance with their known pheromone chemistry, and despite the presence of pheromone components of heterospecifics. This finding lends further support to developing multi-component blends that can effectively monitor for new incursions of multiple exotic species concurrently.

Interesting species of longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from China in the collection of S. Murzin. Part 1

Interesting species of longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from China in the collection of S. Murzin. Part 1

Three new species of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from Central and South America

Three new species of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from Central and South America are described and illustrated: Strangalia yoryinethaesp. nov. and Strangalia lourdesaesp. nov. (Lepturinae: Lepturini), both from Monteverde, Costa Rica; and Peritrox shanebouchardisp. nov. (Lamiinae: Onciderini) from Paraguay. In addition, a key to the known species of Peritrox Bates, 1865 is provided.

Density-Dependent Growth and Fitness in Dastarcus helophoroides (Coleoptera: Bothrideridae).

The ectoparasitoid Dastarcus helophoroides Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Bothrideridae) is an important natural enemy insect, which is artificially mass-reared and released into woodland to control medium and large longhorn beetle species. This study examined the developmental duration (days) of larvae and adult fitness (including numbers of adults emerging per host and mean body size) by exposing a single substitute host, a pupa of Zophobas morio (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), to different densities of D. helophoroides larvae. We showed that there was no significant effect on the rate of successful parasitism and cocoon formation, but emergence success and measures of individual adult body size (length, width, and weight) declined with increasing larval density. Larval period and cocoon period increased with larval density, while total weight of adults emerging per host increased initially before reaching a plateau. Our results suggest that a pupa of Z. morio could be successfully parasitized by a single D. helophoroides larva, but multiple D. helophoroides larvae can share one host. Excessive larval density caused intraspecific competition among D. helophoroides larvae, manifesting in extended developmental duration of immature stage and reduced fitness of adults. Furthermore, the tradeoff between the numbers of adults and body size may stabilize the population dynamics with detectable mutual interference, particularly in competing for limited host resources. These findings suggest six larvae per host would achieve the highest adult fitness and would enhance mass-rearing techniques as part of IPM strategies for longhorn beetles.

A new species of Sarmydus Pascoe, 1867 (Cerambycidae: Prioninae: Anacolini) from Nicobar Island, India.

The adult male and female of a new species of longhorn beetle, Sarmydus nicobarensis sp. nov. are described from the Great Nicobar and Camorta Islands, India. Illustrations of habitus and male genitalia of the new species, as well as photographs of the holotype of S. paukstadtorum Drumont, 2011 are provided.

New Species of Cerambycinae and Lamiinae (Cerambycidae, Coleoptera) from Mexico

Four new species of longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae, Coleoptera) from Mexico are described herein. Three are in the subfamily Cerambycinae: Aphysotes santossilvai, sp. nov., from Veracruz (new country record for the genus), Methia martinsi, sp. nov., from Oaxaca, and Corynellus lutescens, sp. nov., from Veracruz. The fourth is in the subfamily Lamiinae: Zikanita monnei, sp. nov., from Chiapas (also a new country record for the genus). All four species are illustrated with dorsal, ventral, lateral, and frontal views.

Distribution model and habitat characteristics of Morimus asper funereus Mulsant, 1863 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in Bulgaria

Morimus asper funereus is a protected longhorn beetle species of community interest and conservation importance. It is included in Annex II of the Habitats Directive (as M. funereus) and protected under the Bulgarian Biodiversity Act. Although this saproxylic beetle is widespread in old-growth forests or well-structured woodlands in Central and Southeast Europe, its populations are currently threatened by forest practices, such as the removal of wood (branches and logs) (Hardersen et al. 2017). The species is with limited dispersal ability (due to lack of wings) and is very likely to possess very isolated and localized populations. In addition, M. asper funereus is of considerable interest from a taxonomic point of view with unclear taxonomic status for as much as Morimus asper is a morphologically highly variable species. At present, at least three species/subspecies of the genus Morimus are known from the territory of Bulgaria - Morimus asper, M. orientalis and M. vercundus bulgaricus (Danilevsky et al. 2016). Although, it is considered M. asper to be met almost everywhere in Bulgaria, its distribution is still not sufficiently known. We started a systematic and more intensive study on the species distribution in 2012 with the mapping of NATURA 2000 sites. Until the present study 54 localities from the literature had been known, after 562 new records have been added. The available information is organised in a database incorporated into the platform “SmartBirds Pro” - https://smartbirds.org (Popgeorgiev et al. 2015), part of which gives the possibility for registration of protected beetle species. In addition, the platform provides free access to all data (type, location, coordinates, date, observer). Here we present all available data for the species records, and its potential distribution and habitat preference for the territory of Bulgaria via deductive model, using the possibilities of GIS and MAXENT (Fourcade et al. 2014).

The Role of Minor Pheromone Components in Segregating 14 Species of Longhorned Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) of the Subfamily Cerambycinae.

We present research on the chemical ecology of 14 species of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), in four tribes of the subfamily Cerambycinae, conducted in east-central Illinois over 8 yr. Adult males produce aggregation-sex pheromones that attract both sexes. Twenty independent field bioassays explored the pheromone chemistry of the species and tested the possible attractive or antagonistic effects of compounds that are not produced by a given species, but are pheromone components of other species. Analyses of beetle-produced volatiles revealed compounds that had not been reported previously from several of the species. The most common pheromone component was (R)-3-hydroxyhexan-2-one, but pheromones of some species included isomers of the related 2,3-hexanediols. Males of the congeners Phymatodes amoenus (Say) and Phymatodes testaceus (L.) produced pure (R)-2-methylbutan-1-ol. Enantiomers of 2-methylbutan-1-ol also proved to be powerful synergists for Megacyllene caryae (Gahan), Sarosesthes fulminans (F.), and Xylotrechus colonus (F.). The major components of pheromone blends were consistently present in collections of headspace volatiles from male beetles, and only the major components were inherently attractive to a subset of species when tested as single components. Minor components of some species acted as powerful synergists, but in other cases appeared not to influence attraction. Among the minor components identified in headspace extracts from males, 2,3-hexanedione and 2-hydroxyhexan-3-one appeared to be analytical artifacts or biosynthetic by-products, and were neither attractants nor synergists. The antagonistic effects of minor compounds produced by heterospecific males suggest that these compounds serve to maintain prezygotic reproductive isolation among some species that share pheromone components.

Keanekaragaman kumbang sungut panjang (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) di Hutan Lindung Wehea, Kalimantan Timur

Kumbang sungut panjang (longhorn beetle) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) adalah kelompok serangga yang terdiri atas banyak spesies dan bernilai penting secara ekonomi, berasosiasi dengan beragam spesies tumbuhan inang dan merupakan famili kumbang yang paling terkenal. Kehadiran famili ini di Hutan Lindung Wehea (HLW), Kecamatan Muara Wahau, Kabupaten Kutai Timur, Provinsi Kalimantan Timur belum pernah dilaporkan sehingga tulisan ini adalah informasi pertama mengenai keanekaragaman spesies kumbang sungut panjang di HLW. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui keanekaragaman spesies, spesies yang dominan, subdominan dan kemerataan penyebaran individu kumbang sungut panjang Famili Cerambycidae di HLW. Kumbang ditangkap dengan menggunakan perangkap malaise dan perangkap dari daun nangka (Artocarpus heterophyllus) di dalam plot penelitian berukuran 20 m x 100 m (0,2 ha). Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa indeks keanekaragaman Simpson adalah sebesar 0,93 (keanekaragaman tinggi). Di antara 42 spesies yang ditemukan, 6 spesies termasuk dominan, 8 spesies subdominan, dan 28 spesies tidak dominan. Spesies yang dominan adalah Epepeotes spinosus (Thomson), E. luscus (Fabricius), Acalolepta rusticatrix (Fabricius), Ropica quadricristata (Breuning), Pterolophia melanura Pascoe, dan Egesina (Callienispia) minuta (Fisher). Indeks kemerataan Simpson (E) adalah sebesar 0,36 (penyebaran individu masing-masing spesies tidak merata).

Effects of Pheromone Dose and Conspecific Density on the Use of Aggregation-Sex Pheromones by the Longhorn Beetle Phymatodes grandis and Sympatric Species (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae).

Many species of longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) utilize male-produced aggregation-sex pheromones that attract both sexes. However, the reasons why and the details of how this type of pheromone is used by cerambycids and other coleopteran species that utilize analogous male-produced pheromones remain unclear. Thus, our goals were to test the hypotheses that 1) cerambycids respond to pheromones in a dose-dependent (= releaserate-dependent) manner and 2) pheromone emission is density-dependent. If true, these characteristics of pheromone use could suggest that cerambycids utilize an optimal density strategy to limit competition for scarce and ephemeral hosts, i.e., the stressed or dying trees that typically constitute their larval hosts. Attraction of beetles to a range of release rates of two common pheromone components - 2-methylbutanol and 3-hydroxyhexan-2-one - was tested in field trials. Responses, as measured by the number of beetles caught in pheromone-baited traps, increased with release rates for five endemic species, even at the highest rates tested (~1450μg/h for 2-methylbutanol and ~720μg/h for 3-hydroxyhexan-2-one). The effect of density of conspecific males on per capita pheromone production was tested by collecting the volatiles produced by individuals, pairs, or groups of three or four male Phymatodes grandis Casey. Frequency of pheromone production was significantly different among the treatment densities, and emission rates of the pheromone (R)-2-methylbutanol decreased with increasing density. These results are discussed in the context of a possible optimal density strategy used by cerambycids, and more broadly, in relation to the use of male-produced aggregation-sex pheromones by other coleopterans. In addition, we report the identification of the pheromones of four of our five test species, specifically, Phymatodes obliquus Casey, Brothylus conspersus LeConte, Brothylus gemmulatus LeConte, and Xylotrechus albonotatus Casey.

Vulnerability of ten major Nordic cities to potential tree losses caused by longhorned beetles

Urban forest and urban trees are currently facing several challenges arising from a changing climate, complex inner-city environments and severe threats of pathogen and insect attacks. The latter have already had serious consequences for many cities, with outbreaks of diseases and pests causing large-scale tree losses that will take a long time to resolve. The pest species Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) and citrus longhorned beetle (A. chinensis) have large numbers of host species and genera and can hence be classified as one of the most serious future threats to the urban (and natural) tree landscape. The question is not whether these new threats will arrive in northern Europe, but rather when an infestation will occur and how well prepared are cities to deal with it. This study presents an up-to-date compilation of the urban tree population in 10 major Nordic cities, based on recent tree inventories, and investigates and discusses the effects of an outbreak of the two longhorned beetle species, based on information taken from a review of 35 papers presenting host-related data on these species. Evaluation of the data on host susceptibility to the two longhorned beetles revealed clear differences in tree losses between scenarios, with predicted tree losses of 15–98% in the different cities.

Checklist of Disteniidae and Vesperidae (Coleoptera) from India

ABSTRACTA checklist of Disteniidae and Vesperidae (Coleoptera) within the present geographical frontier of Indian subcontinent up to 2016 is provided. As per the current checklist prepared, there are 15 longhorn beetle species classified under 4 tribes, 7 genera and two subfamilies under Disteniidae and Vesperidae. The report has accounted for 4.3% and 3.75% of species, respectively, from India as compared to global record. For all the species, accepted nomenclature followed by all relevant works reporting systematics, classification, synonyms, type locality and distribution within and outside India is provided.

A new lycid-like species of Iarucanga Martins & Galileo, 1991 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae, Hemilophini) from the Bolivian Andes

ABSTRACTA new species of long-horned beetle, Iarucanga gonzalomartinezi sp. nov., from Bolivian Yungas forest is described and illustrated. This species likely imitates species of the Lycidae genus Plateros.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9137E71A-179B-4A86-AB49-9715ECC692D3

The Diversity of Butterfly (Lepidoptera) and Longhorn Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Protection Areas in Kalimantan Barat

Butterfly and longhorn beetles have an important roles in forest ecosystems. Both of this insect have role as bioindicator of environment. So that the present of butterfly and longhorn beetles held gain value to keep the sustainability of ecosystem. Survey of this study were studied in protection area of PT Wana Hijau Pesaguan, Kalimantan Barat. The aim of this study to examine diversity of butterfly and longhorn beetles in protection areas. Butterfly were collected using sweeping net and longhorn beetles were collected using Arthocarpus trap. The datas were collected from three different areas of protection area, such as wildlife conservation area (KPSL), germplasm conservation area (KPPN), and buffer zone (BZ).All samples were identified up to species level.A total of 186 individuals from 83 species butterfly were collected from three different areas. This survey was recorded 6 family of butterfly from three different areas. A total of 137 individuals from 23 species longhorn beetles were collected from three different areas. The highest number of species of butterfly and longhorn beetles was found in KPSL. The highest number of individuals of longhorn beetles was found in KPSL, however butterfly was found in KPPN. The result of survey indicated that species diversity of longhorn beetles and butterfly in protection areas of PT WHP is high.