Tragocerus is a genus of longhorn beetle from western regions of Australia.[1][2]
Tragocerus | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Tragocerus spencei observed in New South Wales | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Coleoptera |
Family: | Cerambycidae |
Species: | Tragocerus
|
Binomial name | |
Tragocerus |
Description
editMembers of the genus Tragocerus are diagnosed by having filiform antenae, slightly shorter than the body. The elytra are long and form a rectangle.[1] They are fused along the mid-dorsal line, though each elytron has indentations just above the wing's point of origin, allowing it to move without meaningful disruption.[3] Tragocerus species appear to mimic wasps; while convincing in flight, their sluggish movements upon landing betray their identity.[3]
Taxonomy
editEight species of Tragocerus have been described:
- Tragocerus cylindricus Carter, 1934
- Tragocerus fasciatus (Donovan, 1805)
- Tragocerus formosus Pascoe, 1862
- Tragocerus halmaturina Tepper, 1887
- Tragocerus heraldicus Vollenhoven, 1871
- Tragocerus lepidopterus (Schreibers, 1802)
- Tragocerus spencii Hope, 1834
- Tragocerus subfasciatus Germar, 1848
References
edit- ^ a b c Latreille, P.A. (1829). Suite et fin des insectes. In: Cuvier, [G.L.C. F.D.], Le règne animal ... Tome V. Paris: Déterville et Crochard. pp. xxiv + 556 pp.
- ^ "Tragocerus spencii". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
- ^ a b Nicholson, A. J. 1927. Presidential Address: A New Theory of Mimicry in Insects. The Australian Zoologist. 5: 10–104