Texas Beetle Information

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Eastern Bumelia Borer

Plinthocoelium suaveolens suaveolens (Linnaeus, 1768) 

Family Cerambycidae, Subfamily Cerambycinae, Tribe Callichromatini


cf. P. s. plicatum - P. schwarzi 

Plinthocoelium suaveolens suaveolens (Linnaeus, 1768)  Plinthocoelium suaveolens suaveolens (Linnaeus, 1768) 

Ozark County, MO (Tom Riley)


Texas Plinthocoelium County Records

 

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


Adult Activity: July through September based on specimens in the Texas A&M University Insect Collection.

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

Biology

Adults attracted to fermenting baits. Members of this genus in the tropics give off an alarm pheromone when disturbed (e.g. when collected) 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 (TX-FL-DE)
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 - FSCA

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 - FSCA
Plinthocoelium suaveolens plicatum - Loc? - with green head & thorax - Living Jewels

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. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 44(13): 283-344, 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. Electronic Checklist of the Cerambycidae of the Western Hemisphere. 393 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.


21 Apr 2007  © Mike Quinn / entomike@gmail.com / Texas Entomology / Texas Beetle Information