Tragocerus is a genus of longhorn beetle from western regions of Australia.[1][2]

Tragocerus
Tragocerus spencei observed in New South Wales
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Cerambycidae
Species:
Tragocerus
Binomial name
Tragocerus

Description

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Members 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

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Eight species of Tragocerus have been described:

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "Tragocerus spencii". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  3. ^ a b Nicholson, A. J. 1927. Presidential Address: A New Theory of Mimicry in Insects. The Australian Zoologist. 5: 10–104