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Anoplophora

Anoplophora is a genus of beetles in the longhorn beetle family (Cerambycidae). They are native to Asia. Most are large and colorful and thus are depicted in artwork and sought after by beetle collectors. The genus also includes several notorious pest insects.

Description

Beetles of Anoplophora are 1 to 5 centimeters in length. They are spotted or banded with a range of color patterns in shades of yellow, blue, purple, and white. They have very long antennae. One characteristic that is particularly useful for distinguishing the species from one another is the structure of the male genitalia.

Impacts

Several Anoplophora species are major pests of urban, ornamental, and agricultural trees.

The Asian long-horned beetle (A. glabripennis) is native to China and Korea, and it is now widespread in Europe as an introduced species. Populations of this beetle have been detected in some locations in North America, including Toronto, Chicago, New Jersey, Ohio, Massachusetts, and New York City, and have either been declared eradicated, or are currently being dealt with under an eradication program. Many tree species can serve as hosts to the beetle, but it especially favors maples.

The citrus long-horned beetle (A. chinensis; syn. A. malasiaca) has been introduced from Asia to Europe and North America. It is a pest of citrus and other fruit and nut trees. It infests forest trees and ornamentals. It attacks over 100 species of trees, shrubs, and herbs from many plant families. Damage from its wood-boring larvae can kill trees.

Diversity

In a 2002 revision of the genus, 36 species were recognized. At least nine more species have been described since then, and additional revisionary work has subsumed several other genera into Anoplophora, so it includes over 50 species at present.

Species

References

Further reading

  • Lingafelter, S. W. and E. R. Hoebeke. Revision of Anoplophora (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). The Entomological Society of Washington, Washington, D.C. 2002. 238 p.