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FLAT-FACED LONGHORN BEETLES

CERAMBYCIDAE: LAMIINAE

W

ith more than 20,000 species named to

date, the Lamiinae, known as flat-faced

longhorn beetles because of the flattened shape of

the head between the antennae and the mandibles,

comprise the largest subfamily in the longhorn

beetle family Cerambycidae, and one of the major

radiations of species and genera in the Coleoptera.

Most species develop as larvae in wood, either

living or dead, and in some cases development

takes many years, particularly when the wood

is dry and low in nutrients. Some genera (for

example, Agapanthia) develop in the stems of living

herbaceous plants such as lilies and thistles, while

others (such as Dorcadion) live in roots in the soil.

The lamiines Batocera wallacei from Asia, Acrocinus

longimanus from South America, and Petrognatha gigas

from Africa are among the largest of all beetles.

Most lamiines attack freshly fallen or even living

wood, and generally they are associated with only

a few families or genera of trees. As timber feeders,

some species can be pests of forestry. The sawyer

beetles of the genus Monochamus attack a range of

softwoods across the northern hemisphere, and the

Asian Longhorn Anoplophora glabripennis, originally

subfamily

Lamiinae

known species

20,000+

distribution

Worldwide except Antarctica, concentrated

in the tropics

habitat

Tropical and temperate forests, some genera

are associated with grasslands and plains,

feeding in soil or stems of herbaceous plants

size

3–150 mm

diet

Larvae usually in wood, some taxa in

herbaceous stems or roots. Adults may feed

on bark, leaves, sap, or in many cases do

not feed at all

notes

The Amazonian lamiine genus Onychocerus,

notably O. albitarsis, has the last segment of

its antennae adapted into a sting resembling

CERAMBYCIDAE: LAMIINAE

right | Phytoecia

cylindrica from

Europe bores in

the stems of

Queen Anne’s

Lace plants. The

adults can be seen

in early spring.