Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

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Trehopr1
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Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

Post by Trehopr1 »

Cerambycidae (Long-horned Beetles) constitute one of the
five largest families of beetles. At some 35,000+ species there
are bound to be ones which either don't quite "fit" the mold
of typical examples or are ones of extraordinary evolutionary
adaption --- which cannot always be explained away.

Our member (bandrow) brought up the thought of a thread
dedicated to unusual cerambycids. So, I shall begin here by
starting out out of the gate (with baton in hand) to get this
thread running....

I have here some photo's of unusual species which I have seen
over the years in (mostly) others collections. I don't know the
names of all of them but, I will elaborate on what I do know.

Image
The central curiosity of this photo struck me as unusual for
its rather "blistered" pronotum and (anterior elytra) along with
the very long and fine setae covering its elytra as well.

Image
There are a number of specialised cerambycidae which possess
antennae of a most reamarkable appearance. The fan shaped
look of these indicates a highly receptive array well beyond
the "typical" suspects in this family.

Image
The (males) of this large South-east Asian species known as
Neocerambyx gigas have a golden-brown look about them
with a velvety pile of hairs covering their elytra. However,
its really the quite unusual (lobed and undulating) appearance
of nearly (1/2) their antennal length which cannot help but,
strike one with wonder ! Likely unique to its genus....

Image
One of the largest South American cerambycid species is this
one called Callipogon barbatus. The very name sounds well
deserved. Of coarse, its those massively built and powerful
mandibles which insure nothings gonna mess with this baby
and not pay a price for mis-adventure !
Strangely, this imposing species has a thick pile of hairs
lining the inner surfaces of those jaws. To what purpose is
anyone's guess ?

Image
The flower-attentive species of Cerambycidae tend to either
be colorful or seem to mimic other families of distastful beetles
such as the Cantharidae (soldier beetles) or Meloidae (blister beetles).
Colorful ones have evolved to appear and even (behave) much
like a host of shiny hymenopteran bees and wasps which frequent
the same bunches of flowers. Their long spindly legs allow them
to "dance amongst the flower tops" fleet of foot and quick in motion.
This species is remarkable not only in size but, also for its "expanded"
portions on its hindleg femurs/tibias.

✓Reminiscent of Leaf-footed bugs of the family Coreidae.

Finally, for tonight I present THE strangest looking cerambycid I can
think of which is called the Mole-Beetle (Hypocephalus armatus).

Image
This is the ONLY species in its genus. Its subfamily is the Anoplodermatinae.
It was descsribed by Desmarest (1832). This specialist species has a digging
habit and is said to live in underground galleries. It is endemic to Brazil and,
only from 2 regions at that !

This specimen happens to belong to me and hails from southern Bahia, Brazil
and was collected in 1974.

Seems, I nearly overlooked yet another wild-looking flower-attentive
species which I also personally own. Here it is below and its pretty cool
in its own unusual way !

Image
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Re: Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

Post by bandrow »

Very nice start Trehpr1!!

Some very cool species here! And as a cerambycid specialist, I think I have to agree that Hypocephalus is the winner as the strangest, most un-cerambycid-like species in the family!

In your first image, the species with the "knobby" pronotum is Arctolamia luteomaculata Pu, 1981. There are just 5 species in the genus, distributed in SE Asia.

In the second image, your species is Piesarthrius marginellus Hope, 1834. This is one of 8 species in the genus, but the tribe in which it resides - the Strongylurini - has many genera with species that have these flabellate antennae. The tribe is scattered throughout Indonesia and especially speciose in Australia.

Keep 'em coming!
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Re: Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

Post by alandmor »

This has to be another candidate for the weirdest cerambycid species, Enchoptera nigricornis Saunders, 1850, Cerambycinae: Macronini, from Australia. I thought it was a scorpionfly at first but they're supposedly wasp mimics. More images at the link below.

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/566177 ... wse_photos
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Re: Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

Post by bandrow »

Hi All,

That's a great image - I've seen that genus on pins, but seeing a live specimen adds a whole new element. My first impression was that it looked like a cranefly!

Cheers!
Bandrow
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Re: Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

Post by bandrow »

Hi All,

These are by no means the "weirdest" things out there, but they're unusual in their own ways or just plain cool. This is a trial run for me to mess around with my phone camera and inserting images in a post... cooler things to come!

Likely a species of Cribrohammus. Very interesting pock-like punctures on the elytra.
Cribrohammus sp.-edited.jpg
Cribrohammus sp.-edited.jpg (152.44 KiB) Viewed 4124 times
Pseudoecthistatus holzschuhi... check out the gibbosities at the base of the elytra - wild!!
Pseudoechthistatus holzschuhi-top-edited.jpg
Pseudoechthistatus holzschuhi-top-edited.jpg (367.98 KiB) Viewed 4124 times
Pseudoechthistatus holzschuhi-side-edited.jpg
Pseudoechthistatus holzschuhi-side-edited.jpg (382.46 KiB) Viewed 4124 times
Last edited by bandrow on Wed Mar 01, 2023 4:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

Post by bandrow »

Here are some more...

Here are two species of Vesperus. Vesperus luridus, female on the left and Vesperus conicicollis, male on the right
Vesperus luridus and conicicollis.jpg
Vesperus luridus and conicicollis.jpg (313.3 KiB) Viewed 4124 times
Here is a species of Dorcadion, one of my favorite genera. There are hundreds of species in the Old World and probably over a thousand subspecies total. Personally, I believe this genus is highly over-described, but at least there are always more taxa to get. This is Dorcadion pantherinum shamaevi...
Dorcadion pantherinum shamaevi.jpg
Dorcadion pantherinum shamaevi.jpg (320.16 KiB) Viewed 4124 times
And finally for now, Luteicenus atromaculatus, to show a couple of extremes in color pattern...
Luteicenus atromaculatus.jpg
Luteicenus atromaculatus.jpg (279.58 KiB) Viewed 4124 times
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Re: Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

Post by Trehopr1 »

I suppose the word "weird" can also be construed as
"out of the ordinary" or "unique". Thus, I feel this
particular cerambycid species qualifies for this topic.

This pair (mine) are what I refer to as being my
"Tiki beetles" --- to visitors who view my collection.
No, I have not hand painted the signature designs
or colors onto these specimens.

Image

I found this marvelous pair in the holding of a small beetle
collection being parted out 4 years ago. Their unique designs
absolutely "blew me away" and I HAD to have them !

I usually give preference to leps under most circumstances
when purchasing things however, beetles due offer their
own measure of splendor; so, I "buck my trend" here and
there. This species BY FAR out-ranks MOST of my cerambycid
holdings in terms of its splendor and uniqueness (of what I have).

Definitely, a long term keeper....
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Re: Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

Post by nomihoudai »

Are these Sternotomis cornutor from Comoros Islands?
Lepidoptera distribution maps: lepimap.click
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Re: Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

Post by bandrow »

Yes, they are Sternotomis (Ultiolemur) cornutor... beautiful!!
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Re: Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

Post by livingplanet3 »

Trehopr1 wrote: Tue Feb 28, 2023 6:48 am Cerambycidae (Long-horned Beetles) constitute one of the
five largest families of beetles. At some 35,000+ species there
are bound to be ones which either don't quite "fit" the mold
of typical examples or are ones of extraordinary evolutionary
adaption --- which cannot always be explained away...
Many thanks for this post; have always been fascinated by Cerambycidae. I have some nice specimens of Rosenbergia, Anoplophora, Macrodontia, Titanus, and Callipogon, among others.
Trehopr1 wrote: Tue Feb 28, 2023 6:48 am Finally, for tonight I present THE strangest looking cerambycid I can
think of which is called the Mole-Beetle (Hypocephalus armatus).

This is the ONLY species in its genus. Its subfamily is the Anoplodermatinae.
It was descsribed by Desmarest (1832). This specialist species has a digging
habit and is said to live in underground galleries. It is endemic to Brazil and,
only from 2 regions at that !...
Indeed, a cerambycid that became a "mole cricket"!
Trehopr1 wrote: Wed Mar 01, 2023 8:23 pm This pair (mine) are what I refer to as being my
"Tiki beetles" --- to visitors who view my collection.
No, I have not hand painted the signature designs
or colors onto these specimens...
Those are really marvelous!
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Re: Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

Post by bandrow »

Hi All,

Here's a quick addition to the "weird" ones - more to come soon...

Cheers!
Bandrow

Dorysthenes (Baladeva) walkeri Waterhouse, 1840 - from Thailand
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Re: Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

Post by bandrow »

Hi All,

To expand on Trehopr1's posting of his Sternotomis cornutor specimens - here are three more species in that tribe. From top to bottom are pairs of Zographus oculator (Fabricius, 1775) from South Africa; Sternotomis (Ultiolemur) thomsoni Buquet, 1855 and Sternotomis (Ultiolemur) pupieri Fleutiaux, 1905, both from Comoros Islands.

Maybe it's my Catholic-school upbringing, but I always think of a priest when I see Sternotomis thomsoni!!
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Re: Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

Post by Trehopr1 »

Say Bandrow,
Looks like I've got a nice example of Sternotomis
(Ultiolemur) pupieri myself ! Great choice of species
to show in this thread.

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Re: Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

Post by Trehopr1 »

I forgot all about Dorystenes in my original post !
Dang, don't know how I overlooked that one. It sure
is a standout species for a thread like this. I've got
2 myself...
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Re: Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

Post by adamcotton »

bandrow wrote: Tue Mar 07, 2023 2:50 am Dorysthenes (Baladeva) walkeri Waterhouse, 1840 - from Thailand
This is an interesting species because it only flies in the rain, hence the Thai name แมลงแม่ฝน (malaeng mae fon) which literally translates as insect of the mother rain. The males have these very elongate mandibles. I seem to remember that they are shorter in females, but it is many years since I saw one. I remember many years ago, an afternoon maybe in July, driving down a road not far from here in heavy rain and these were flying across the road in front of me.

Adam.
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Re: Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

Post by kevinkk »

That is interesting that those beetles only fly in the rain. I thought we had the only "rain beetles" here in the northwest.
I don't recall the species offhand, but there are 3 species I believe of Scarab that fly in the fall during damp weather. Locally
common, as are many species. Seems like flying in bad weather might be a predator defense.
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Re: Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

Post by bandrow »

Hi Adam,

Thanks for the behavioral info on Dorysthenes - it's always cool to learn about the life habits of these exotic species. My entire experience with them is dead on a pad of cotton under cellophane! Same for Batocera - I didn't realize that they were patterned with yellow or pink until the launch of the internet allowed ready access to images of living specimens. I thought they were only patterned in white - but that's just their faded state.

Kevinkk - the genus Pleocoma is a great group of beetles and something to envy for us easterners! If you ever have an interest in exchanging any of those, I'd be interested in hearing what might be over here on this side of the continent that you may need...

Cheers!
Bandrow
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Re: Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

Post by alandmor »

bandrow wrote: Wed Mar 08, 2023 3:22 am Hi Adam,

Kevinkk - the genus Pleocoma is a great group of beetles and something to envy for us easterners! If you ever have an interest in exchanging any of those, I'd be interested in hearing what might be over here on this side of the continent that you may need...

Cheers!
Bandrow
Bandrow, Sent you a personal message.
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Re: Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

Post by kevinkk »

My Pleocoma captures have all been random over the years, one season I caught a number of them in a walnut orchard where i was picking walnuts.
It all seems to be private property, I found some christmas tree farms where they can be common, it's just a matter of timing and getting around in bad
weather. Something you need to prepare for, typically one is not carrying their butterfly net in the fall and winter, it's amusing for onlookers to see
you running after an imperceptible object swinging your jacket around-
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Re: Cerambycidae of "weird " appearance

Post by bandrow »

Hi Kevinkk,

It sounds like collecting Pleocoma is definitely a deliberate act - not just incidental! Running a blacklight in the rain in the winter is surely not the usual activity, and then knowing exactly when to try is more of a challenge. Of course, collecting the males is childs' play compared to collecting the females - locating a burrow and then digging 6 feet or more down into hard-packed soil to retrieve her is something few folks have accomplished!!

Cheers!
Bandrow
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