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| | | Longhorn beetles | Longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as longicorns or long-horned beetles, are a family within the order beetles (Coleoptera). There are about 26,000 species worldwide, nearly 200 of which occur in Europe. Some examples of longhorn beetle species are: Aegosoma scabricorne, Ergates faber, Tragosma depsarium, Necydalis major, Necydalis ulmi, great capricorn beetle (Cerambyx cerdo), capricorn beetle (Cerambyx scopolii), Cerambyx miles, musk beetle (Aromia moschata), rosalia longicorn (Rosalia alpina), Purpuricenus kaehleri, Iberodorcadion fuliginator, Lamia textor and Phytoecia nigricornis. The largest known longhorn beetle, the Brazilian titanus giganteus, can reach a body length of 170 mm. In Europe, the Ergates faber is the largest species with a length of up to 60 mm.
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| | | | Longhorn beetles are iridescent and can be encountered in a wide variety of colours- red, blue, brown, bronze, grey, metallic hues, green, black and white. Their most striking characteristic is their long, segmented antennae, which often point backwards and may exceed the length of the body. They resemble ibex horns hence this insects name. As the antennae are so long, they must be anchored stably to the head which leaves little space for the eyes. In many species therefore, the eyes grow around the base of the antennae from behind. The bodies of these insects are elongated and are often larger in the males. Although sometimes the opposite is true. | | |
| | | Adult longhorn beetles feed on pollen, flower parts or tree juices. Some species prefer tree bark or leaves and the stems of cabbage plants. Other species don’t eat anything or are predatory. The life span of an adult longhorn beetle is anything up to 90 days, in many species less than 1 month. | | |
| | | The females use ovipositors to lay their eggs in small cracks or holes in their larvae’s food plants. The larvae of longhorn beetles are pure herbivores. They mainly feed on wood. Their bodies are flat when they live under tree bark and cylindrical, when they bore into the interior of the tree. Some species specialize in dead wood. Heartwood eating larvae, such as the old-house borer (Hylotrupes bajulus), can cause major damage to the wooden structures of buildings and are often noticed too late. The duration of the larval period depends on the quality and nutrient content of the wood, in which the larvae live. | | |
| | | In addition to the wood-eating larvae, there are species that live off roots or feed on stems of thistles, nettles, figworts or grass. The larvae pupate in sealed cells in special passages dug into the wood or beneath the bark. The young longhorn beetles hatch from the pupae through an opening. Overwintering usually occurs as a larva, rarely as a beetle. | | |
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| | Further chapters of "longhorn beetles" | |
| | Description of images / photos | | 1. | Longhorn beetle - Stictoleptura cordigera | | 2. | Leptura quadrifasciata |
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| Frequent Queries: | | blue longhorn beetle (3) | | ergatis faber longhorn beetle image (2) | | grey spotted beetle rosalia (1) | | images of Leptura quadrifasciata (1) | | aegosoma scabricorne (1) | | pictures of cerambycidae europe (1) | | capricorn beetle larvae photograph (1) |
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