Longhorn Beetle Species Research Articles

A true long horn-a new species of Macronemus Dejean, 1835 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae, Acanthoderini) from the Bolivian Andes.

A new species of long-horned beetle, Macronemus waxrasapa sp. nov. from Bolivian Yungas forest, is described and illustrated.

Developing trapping protocols for wood-boring beetles associated with broadleaf trees

Longhorn and jewel beetles are often moved intercontinentally within woody materials. The common use of hardwoods in solid wood-packaging requires efficient trapping protocols for broadleaf-associated species. We tested the effect of lure (ethanol vs multi-lure), trap color (green vs purple), and trap height (understory vs canopy) on the longhorn and jewel beetle species trapped in multi-funnel traps set up in both seminatural forests and reforested forests in Italy. Traps were deployed in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial scheme, and the eight different treatments were replicated 17 times in a randomized complete block design, in which each block was a different site. Thirty-five longhorn beetle species (2 non-native) and 15 jewel beetle species (all native) were trapped. The multi-lure was more effective than ethanol at detecting most longhorn beetles at both the species and subfamily level (except Lepturinae), but had no effect on the detection of jewel beetles. Trap color affected both jewel (green better than purple) and longhorn beetles with mixed responses among subfamilies. Species richness and/or abundance of both families was greater in the canopy than the understory, but trends were more heterogeneous at lower taxonomic levels (i.e., significant effect on Cerambycinae and Lepturinae but not on Lamiinae). In general, we showed that green multi-funnel traps baited with multi-lure, and setup in the canopy may be an efficient trapping protocol for European longhorn and jewel beetles associated with broadleaf trees. This information can increase efficacy of early-detection programs carried out both inside and outside of Europe.

Ultrastructure and distribution of sensilla on the maxillary and labial palps of Chlorophorus caragana (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae).

Chlorophorus caragana is a species of long-horned beetle that damages Caragana davazamcii Sancz. (Fabales: Papilionaceae) bushes in desert areas in China. The beetles cause substantial damage to local forestry plantations and the environment. Sensilla on the maxillary and labial palps of coleopterans a allow the insects to recognize their host plants. We used scanning and transmission electron microscopy to study the ultrastructure, distribution, and abundance of various sensilla on the maxillary and labial palps of C. caragana. We found four types of sensilla including ten subtypes: one of Böhm's bristles, three of sensilla chaetica, one of digitiform sensilla, and five of sensilla twig basiconica. The types and distribution of the sensilla on the maxillary and labial palps were highly similar between males and females. Finally, this article discusses the functions of the sensilla of related species in recognizing hosts and the significance of gustation studies in the context of the control of C. caragana.

Repeatability of the phoretic relationships between mites of the genus Trichouropoda Berlese (Parasitiformes: Uropodina) and longhorn beetles of the genus Tetropium Kirby (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in Białowieża Primeval Forest, Central Europe

ABSTRACTWe studied repeatability of phoretic relationships between Trichouropoda shcherbakae Hirschmann, 1972 and longhorn beetles Tetropium castaneum (Linnaeus, 1758) and Te. fuscum (Fabricius, 1787) in Białowieża Primeval Forest in Central Europe. Samples of mites phoretic on two Tetropium Kirby, 1837 species were collected in 2008 and compared with the data from 2007. In both years, the same study plots and collecting methods were used in the same phenological periods. The phenomenon of phoresy was studied with emphasis on phoront–host associations, temporal changes in intensity of phoresy, proportion of carriers of mites in longhorn beetle populations, participation of longhorn beetle species in the transportation of mites, and preferences of phoretic deutonymphs for specific parts of the host’s body. The phoretic relationships are characterized by high repeatability in most of the variables we studied. This is indicative of high stability of the phoretic relationship, probably resulting from the long-term coevolution of beetle dispersants and phoretic mites in a natural forest ecosystem, as well as high specificity typical among pioneer species in initial stages of tree decomposition.

Strongest grip on the rod: tarsal morphology and attachment of Japanese pine sawyer beetles

Plant-dwelling beetles overcome challenging attachment hurdles by means of ellaborated, tarsal attachment devices, which are frequently equipped with hairy adhesive pads. While the tarsal functional morphology has been intensively studied in leaf and ladybird beetles during the last decades, longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) have been widely neglected in experimental studies on insect attachment. However, they are known to strongly hold on to plant substrates, using tarsi that are densely covered with adhesive setae. In the present study, we examined the Japanese pine sawyer beetle, Monochamus alternatus, which lives in an arboreal habitat, as an exemplary case. Traction force of male and female beetles on (1) flat and (2) cylindrical, rod-shaped glass was measured. The substrates are further called (1) glass plate and (2) glass rod.Both male and female M. alternatus bear ribbon-shaped tarsal adhesive setae with broadened, ultrathin terminals. They release a distinct amount of adhesion-mediating fluid after each step. The beetles never walked on the vertically oriented glass plate. However, they performed well on the horizontal plate, as well as on the horizontally and vertically oriented glass rod. Males generated higher forces and safety factors (traction force devided by the body weight) than females, reaching up to 206 mN traction force and a safety factor of 32 on the horizontal glass rod. Thus, they are able to carry their remarkable body weight (ca. 300 mg) throughout a rather long life span.We assume the adaptation of M. alternatus to the attachment on convex and rod-shaped structures to be present in its natural habitat. This longhorn beetle species achieves a proper hold through a combination of interacting parameters: appropriate body alignment and two-sided leg grasping, and generation of normal and friction forces by tarsal pads. This smart attachment system gives rise to the reconsideration of the ecological and evolutionary background, and provides insights for the development of bio-inspired technical grippers.

The Rare North American Cerambycid Beetle Dryobius sexnotatus Shares a Novel Pyrrole Pheromone Component with Species in Asia and South America.

The compound 1-(1H-pyrrol-2-yl)-1,2-propanedione ("pyrrole") is an important pheromone component of several Asian and South American species of longhorned beetles in the subfamily Cerambycinae. Here, we report the first confirmed identification of this compound as a pheromone component of a cerambycine species native to North America, the rare beetle Dryobius sexnotatus Linsley. Headspace volatiles from males contained (R)-3-hydroxyhexan-2-one and pyrrole (ratio 1:0.13), neither of which were detected in samples from a female. A field bioassay confirmed that adults of both sexes were attracted only to the binary blend of racemic 3-hydroxyhexan-2-one plus pyrrole, and not by either compound alone. Adults of another cerambycine, Xylotrechus colonus (F.), were attracted by 3-hydroxyhexan-2-one, consistent with this compound being the primary component of the pheromone of this species; attraction was not influenced by the presence of pyrrole. This study attests to the effectiveness of pheromone-baited traps in capturing rarely encountered species of cerambycids. It also provides further evidence that pyrrole represents another conserved pheromone motif within the Cerambycinae, now having been found in representatives of five cerambycid tribes from three continents.

Diagnostic and phylogenetic utility of the first DNA barcode library for longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from the Russian Far East

One hundred forty two specimens representing 56 species of longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) from the Russian Far East were sequenced for a 658 bp fragment of the 5' end of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene (COI, =DNA barcode). The data are publicly available in an open access online library (dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-CERRF). All analysed species could be differentiated using the standard online DNA barcode identification tool, except for a group of three sympatric colour-defined Menesia species. Seven Menesia records share the same Barcode Identification Number (=BIN), while the single specimen of M. flavotecta shares the same haplotype as some of M. sulphurata. Excluding the Menesia case, the Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) uniquely correspond to the analysed species, in all but the four specimens of Chlorophorus simillimus where they share two BINs. Although DNA barcoding aims to develop species identification systems, some phylogenetic signal was apparent in the data and in the Maximum Likelihood analysis, all four subfamilies were recovered as monophyletic. Notwithstanding the few detected deviations from the absolute taxonomic/phylogenetic match, DNA barcoding is a powerful identification tool with a capacity to place an undocumented record among its closest relatives.

The Longhorned Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) of Tennessee: Distribution of Species, Seasonal Adult Activity, and New State Records

Efforts to document species of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) occurring in Tennessee have not been updated since 1973. To address this knowledge gap, institutional, research, and private collections in Tennessee were reviewed to provide faunal distribution assessments and seasonal activity data for the cerambycid beetle species active in Tennessee. Examinations of 9,918 specimens and records yielded a list of 230 cerambycid beetle species within 5 subfamilies. Twenty-seven species are reported as new state records from Tennessee. Adult seasonal activity data that were recorded on specimen labels are presented. Where available, notes on collection method, adult resources, and larval host plants are provided for species within a supplementary table. Supplemental figures report the distribution for species collected across the state and from 85 of the 95 Tennessee counties, as well as the ecoregions from which each species is reported. The bias-corrected Chao1 species richness estimator predicts another 11 species remain to be identified across the state. Future collection efforts in the Central Appalachian, Mississippi Alluvial and Valley Loess Plains, Southeastern Plains, and western portions of the Interior Plateau ecoregions could yield additional new state records. Developmental host and adult resource plants, collection methods, as well as regional collection notes from adjacent states are discussed for several additional candidate longhorned beetle species.

The specific assemblage structure of longhorn beetles (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) in floodplain forests of the western part of Saratov oblast

The biodiversity structure and habitat requirements of longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) in floodplain forests of the western part of Saratov oblast were studied from 2011 to 2014. A total of 51 species of longhorn beetles has been identified. The largest subfamilies are Cerambycinae (19 species), Lepturinae (17 species), and Lamiinae (13 species). The specific communities include 34, 14, 11, 9, 7, 7, 6, and 3 species for oak, aspen, elm, willow, linden, maple, alder, and ash tree, respectively. The largest number of longhorn beetle species was found in oak forests.

Reproductive biology of Sclerodermus brevicornis, a European parasitoid developing on three species of invasive longhorn beetles

The reproductive performance of Sclerodermus brevicornis (Kieffer), a bethylid wasp native to Europe, was evaluated on three species of factitious hosts. These are longhorn beetles which have recently invaded Europe from Asia: Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky), Anoplophora chinensis (Forster) and Psacothea hilaris hilaris (Pascoe) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Sclerodermus brevicornis attacked all three species, but offspring only developed to maturity on medium and large sized host larvae. Host species influenced the duration of parasitoid development and the number of offspring maturing, both were greatest on A. glabripennis, with up to 373 adult parasitoids emerging from a single host. The sex ratios of S. brevicornis broods were strongly female biased (ca. 9% males). We conclude that S. brevicornis has the potential to be efficiently mass-reared and actively deployed in the biological control of invasive longhorn beetles. Further progress should be encouraged by the successful use of other species of Sclerodermus against beetle pests in China.

A study on determination of Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) fauna of Isparta Province (Turkey)

The aims of this study were to understand the faunistic composition and some ecological properties (vertical distributions and seasonality) of Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) of Isparta Province, Turkey. The study was conducted in 2009 and 2013. A total of 53 longhorn beetle species belonging to three subfamilies were collected. The great majority of the cerambycid fauna of the province is in the subfamily Lamiinae. The results showed that longhorn beetle species richness peaked in May and July. Also, the results of the study indicate that longhorn beetles have a clear vertical distribution patterns.

Stereochemistry of Fuscumol and Fuscumol Acetate Influences Attraction of Longhorned Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) of the Subfamily Lamiinae.

The chemical structures of aggregation-sex pheromones of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) are often conserved among closely related taxa. In the subfamily Lamiinae, adult males and females of several species are attracted by racemic blends of (E)-6,10-dimethyl-5,9-undecadien-2-ol (termed fuscumol) and the structurally related (E)-6,10-dimethyl-5,9-undecadien-2-yl acetate (fuscumol acetate). Both compounds have a chiral center, so each can exist in two enantiomeric forms. Males of many species of longhorned beetles only produce one stereoisomer of each pheromone component, and attraction may be reduced by the presence of stereoisomers that are not produced by a particular species. In a previous publication, analysis of headspace volatiles of adult beetles of the lamiine species Astyleiopus variegatus (Haldeman) revealed that males sex-specifically produced (S)-fuscumol and (S)-fuscumol acetate. Here, we describe field trials which tested attraction of this species to single enantiomers of fuscumol and fuscumol acetate, or to blends of enantiomers. We confirmed attraction of A. variegatus to its species-specific blend, but during the course of the trials, found that several other species also were attracted. These included Aegomorphus modestus (Gyllenhall), attracted to (S)-fuscumol acetate; Astylidius parvus (LeConte), attracted to (R)-fuscumol; Astylopsis macula (Say), attracted to (S)-fuscumol; and Graphisurus fasciatus (DeGeer), attracted to a blend of (R)-fuscumol and (R)-fuscumol acetate. These results suggest that chirality may be important in the pheromone chemistry of lamiines, and that specific stereoisomers or mixtures of stereoisomers are likely produced by each species.

(6E,8Z)-6,8-Pentadecadienal, a Novel Attractant Pheromone Produced by Males of the Cerambycid Beetles Chlorida festiva and Chlorida costata.

We report the identification, synthesis, and first field bioassays of a pheromone component with a novel structure produced by adult males of Chlorida festiva (L.) and Chlorida costata Audinet-Serville, longhorn beetle species in the subfamily Cerambycinae. Headspace volatiles from males contained a sex-specific compound that was identified as (6E,8Z)-6,8-pentadecadienal. Traps baited with this compound captured adults of both species and sexes, consistent with the aggregation-sex pheromones produced by males of many species in this subfamily. This compound represents a new structural class of cerambycid pheromones, and it is the first pheromone identified from species in the tribe Bothriospilini.

Phylogenetic signal and potential for invasiveness

Abstract We hypothesized that the evolutionary stability of insect traits relevant to invasion risk can be used to characterize this risk and the confidence in assigning potential invasiveness. Different longhorned beetle species have biological trait combinations (diet breadth, host tree condition and adult feeding) that predispose them to different degrees of potential invasiveness if introduced outside their native range. Relevant biological information is often not available for newly introduced species; however, the approach described in the present study could rapidly allow risk to be assigned to such discoveries. To test this approach, we used a molecular phylogeny for 56 species of Cerambycidae from five subfamilies to measure phylogenetic signal associated with invasive traits. The biological traits were used to cluster species into seven hypothesized risk groups. Mapping these risk designations back onto the phylogeny allowed us to examine the risk within clades at different taxonomic levels and the stability of the risk designation. We used additional species known to be non‐native invasive problems to test our framework. Our method would have correctly predicted the risk of Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) but not Callidiellum rufipenne (Motschulsky). There was significant phylogenetic signal in both the biological traits and the risk category membership. Our approach can be modified for other groups of concern.

Vertical distribution of three longhorned beetle species (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in burned trees of the boreal forest

This study aimed to characterize the vertical distribution of longhorned beetle larvae in burned trees of the eastern Canadian boreal forest. Black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) trees burned at three severity levels were cut, and 30 cm boles were collected from the ground up to a height of 9.45 m. Boles were debarked and dissected to collect insect larvae. Results show that the three most abundant longhorned beetle species were vertically segregated among burned jack pine and black spruce trees, but the section having the highest timber value was heavily infested by woodborer larvae. Larval density distribution of Monochamus scutellatus scutellatus (Say) and of Acmaeops proteus proteus (Kirby) could be linked with bark thickness, which also depends on fire severity. Lightly burned stands of black spruce were the most heavily infested and should be salvaged only if they are easily accessible and can thus be rapidly harvested and processed at the mill. More severely burned stands should be salvaged later as they will be less affected by woodborers, as should jack pine, which is lightly infested compared with black spruce. The ecological role of stumps should be further investigated because they could still have an ecological value after salvage logging as Arhopalus foveicollis (Haldeman) uses them specifically.

The Influence of Host Plant Volatiles on the Attraction of Longhorn Beetles to Pheromones

Host plant volatiles have been shown to strongly synergize the attraction of some longhorn beetle species (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) to their pheromones. This synergism is well documented among species that infest conifers, but less so for angiosperm-infesting species. To explore the extent of this phenomenon in the Cerambycidae, we first tested the responses of a cerambycid community to a generic pheromone blend in the presence or absence of chipped material from host plants as a source of host volatiles. In the second phase, blends of oak and conifer volatiles were reconstructed, and tested at low, medium, and high release rates with the pheromone blend. For conifer-infesting species in the subfamilies Spondylidinae and Lamiinae, conifer volatiles released at the high rate synergized attraction of some species to the pheromone blend. When comparing high-release rate conifer blend with high-release rate α-pinene as a single component, species responses varied, with Asemum nitidum LeConte being most attracted to pheromones plus α-pinene, whereas Neospondylis upiformis (Mannerheim) were most attracted to pheromones plus conifer blend and ethanol. For oak-infesting species in the subfamily Cerambycinae, with the exception of Phymatodes grandis Casey, which were most attracted to pheromones plus ethanol, neither synthetic oak blend nor ethanol increased attraction to pheromones. The results indicate that the responses to combinations of pheromones with host plant volatiles varied from synergistic to antagonistic, depending on beetle species. Release rates of host plant volatiles also were important, with some high release rates being antagonistic for oak-infesting species, but acting synergistically for conifer-infesting species.

Diplogasteroides luxuriosae n. sp. associated with Acalolepta luxuriosa (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from Japan

Diplogasteroides luxuriosae n. sp. is described from a species of longhorn beetle, Acalolepta luxuriosa (Cerambycidae), associated with a broad-leaved tree, Aralia elata (Araliaceae), from the Ibaraki and Kyoto Prefectures of Japan. Besides its generic (or intrageneric species group-specific) characteristics, the new species is characterised and distinguished from its close relatives by its apomorphic characteristics, i.e., broad spicule with a trapezoidal shape, gubernaculum with pointed anterior, and posterior ends with two gland-like cells dorsally overlapping the vas deferens of males and large and wide receptaculum seminis of females. The new species is molecularly similar to two recently described Diplogasteroides spp., D. andrassyi and D. asiaticus. However, D. luxuriosae n. sp. is molecularly distinguished from these two species by the 6-7 bp difference in near-full-length small subunit (18S) and 10-14 bp differences in D2-D3 expansion segments of large subunit (28S) ribosomal RNA genes.

Tylenchid entomoparasites isolated from Spondylis buprestoides (L.) and Asemum striatum (L.) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

Tylenchid entomoparasites were isolated from two longhorn beetle species,Spondylis buprestoidesfrom Tsukuba, Japan, andAsemum striatumfrom Ithaca, Tompkins County, NY, USA. Parasitic females and juveniles were obtained fromS. buprestoides, where the female has a large body (5-6 mm long), clear stylet retracted into the body and degenerate anus and rectum, similar to some neotylenchids and allantonematids. By contrast, only stylet-bearing parasitic juveniles were found in eggs ofA. striatum, and detailed morphological analysis was not done for this isolate. These two isolates of parasites were molecularly characterised, and analysed for their phylogenetic status based on the small subunit of the ribosomal RNA gene. The phylogenetic inference suggested that the two parasitic nematodes are close to each other, and to thesiricidicolasuperspecies of the genusDeladenus,i.e., these two species andDeladenusform a well-supported clade. Because these two host beetle species belong to the same cerambycid subfamily (Spondylinae) from disparate locations, a subfamily-associated nematode parasite lineage may be revealed by further field surveys.

Diversity and abundance of longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in Gunung Walat Educational Forest, West Java, Indonesia

Gunung Walat Educational Forest is located at an altitude of 500-700 m asl and has a variety of forest types. This research investigated the diversity and abundance of longhorn beetles found in several types of plantation forest. The beetles were collected using Artocarpus traps in September and October 2014. Sixteen species of longhorn beetle were found; these belonged to 7 tribes and 12 genera. The highest diversity and evenness of longhorn beetles were found in the natural forest (H=1.80, E=0.75) and the lowest of both measures in the Agathis forest (H=0.556, E=0.232). The highest similarity index (0.75) was found between the natural forest and the pine forest. Five of the species found, i.e. Sybra binotata, Sybra fuscotriangularis, Ropica strandi, Acalolepta rusticatrix, and Pterolophia melanura were highly abundant. Two of these, R. strandi and S. fuscotriangularis, as well as 4 other species found, Cleptometopus montanus, Myagrus javanicus, Notomulciber notatus, and Exocentrus artocarpi, are only found in Java. Finding Ropica marmorata was the first such record of this species on the island of Java.

Olfactory receptor neuron responses of a longhorned beetle, Tetropium fuscum (Fabr.) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), to pheromone, host, and non-host volatiles

Longhorn wood-boring beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) use olfactory cues to find mates and hosts for oviposition. Tetropium fuscum (Fabr.) is an invasive longhorned wood-boring beetle originating from Europe that has been established in Nova Scotia, Canada, since at least 1990. This study used single sensillum recordings (SSR) to determine the response of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) in the antennal sensilla of male and female T. fuscum to different kinds of olfactory cues, namely host volatiles, non-host volatiles, the aggregation pheromone of T. fuscum (fuscumol), and an aggregation pheromone emitted by other species of longhorn beetles (3-hydroxyhexan-2-one). Each compound had been previously shown to elicit antennal activity in T. fuscum using electroantennography or had been shown to elicit behavioral activity in T. fuscum or other cerambycids. There have been very few SSR studies done on cerambycids, and ours is the first to compare response profiles of pheromone components as well as host and non-host volatiles. Based on SSR studies with other insects, we predicted we would find ORNs that responded to the pheromone alone (pheromone-specialists), as well as ORNs that responded only to host or non-host volatiles, i.e., separation of olfactory cue perception at the ORN level. Also, because male T. fuscum emerge earlier than females and are the pheromone-emitting sex, we predicted that the number of pheromone-sensitive ORNs would be greater in females than males. We found 140 ORNs housed within 97 sensilla that responded to at least one of the 13 compounds. Fuscumol-specific ORNs made up 15% (21/140) of all recordings, but contrary to our prediction, an additional 22 ORNs (16%) responded to fuscumol plus at least one other compound; in total, fuscumol elicited a response from 43/140 (31%) of ORNs with fuscumol-specific ORNs accounting for half of these. Thus, our prediction that pheromone reception would be segregated on specialist ORNs was only partially supported. Our prediction that females would have more ORNs that responded to fuscumol than would males was also not supported, as there was no difference. The stressed-host volatile linalool elicited the most responses of any compound tested, 43% of all recordings.