Texas Beetle Information

Return to Texas Entomology - Compiled by Mike Quinn

South Texas Bumelia Borer

Plinthocoelium schwarzi (Fisher, 1914)

Family Cerambycidae, Subfamily Cerambycinae, Tribe Callichromatini

cf. P. s. suaveolens - P. s. plicatum

(note, black head, thorax and femora)

Olmito, Cameron Co., TX
May 20, 2001 (Joshua Rose)

See similar species comment

(green fades postmortem to deep cobalt blue)

May 1965, McAllen, Hidalgo Co., TX

only specimen of P. schwarzi in the TAMUIC

Texas Plinthocoelium County Records

County Record Source: E.G. Riley, Nov. 2005

Range: South Texas, northeastern Mexico

Adult Activity: March to May

Larval Host: Larvae feed in the root crowns of Bumelia, Sapotaceae.

Biology:

Adults attracted to fermenting baits. When disturbed, this species emits a milky substance that may act as an alarm pheromone causing conspecifics in the vicinity to take flight.

Similar Species:

There are nine species of Plinthocoelium, but only the following two species reach the United States.

Plinthocoelium schwarzi (Fisher, 1914) - South Texas
Plinthocoelium suaveolens suaveolens (Linnaeus) - se USA (DE-FL-TX)
Plinthocoelium suaveolens plicatum (LeConte) - Texas, se Arizona, sw New Mexico, Sonora, Mexico.

Comments: Plinthocoelium suaveolens is highly variable (see photo links below), and P. schwarzi may prove to be a subspecies of P. suaveolens.

Weblinks:

Plinthocoelium s. suaveolens (Linnaeus) - Cerambycidae of Florida

Photos:

Plinthocoelium suaveolens suaveolens - GA - with red head and thorax - Giff Beaton
Plinthocoelium suaveolens suaveolens - ARK - with red head and thorax - Noor Beckwith
Plinthocoelium suaveolens suaveolens - FL - with green head & thorax - Univ. FL
Plinthocoelium suaveolens plicatum - AZ - with green head & thorax - Bob Jensen
Plinthocoelium suaveolens plicatum - Loc? - with green head & thorax - Living Jewels
Plinthocoelium suaveolens plicatum - Loc? - with blue head and thorax - Barbara Strnadova

Type Specimens:

Original combination: Callichroma splendidum LeConte, 1850
Current name: Plinthocoelium suaveolens (Linneaus)

Original combination: Callichroma plicatum LeConte, 1853
Current name: Plinthocoelium suaveolens var plicatum

References:

Arnett, R.H., Jr., M.C. Thomas, P. E. Skelley & J.H. Frank. (editors). 2002. American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea. CRC Press. 861 pp.

Hovore, F.T., R.L. Penrose & R.W. Neck. 1987. The Cerambycidae, or longhorned beetles, of southern Texas: a faunal survey (Coleoptera). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 44(13): 283-334, 20 figs.

Linsley, E. G. 1964. The Cerambycidae of North America. Part V. Taxonomy and classification of the subfamily Cerambycinae, tribes Callichromini through Ancylocerini. Univ. Calif. Publs Ent., Berkeley, 22: 1-197, 60 figs., 1 pl.

Linsley, E.G. & P.D. Hurd. Jr. 1959. The larval habits of Plinthocoelium suaveolens plicatum (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Bull. S. Calif. Acad. Sci., S. Diego, 58 (1): 27-33, 11 pls.

Monné, M.A. & F.T. Hovore. 2005. Checklist of the Cerambycidae, or longhorned woodboring beetles, of the Western Hemisphere. 392 pp.

Vogt, B.G. 1949. Notes on Cerambycidae from the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas. Pan-Pacific Entomologist 25(3):137-144; (4):175-184.