Oncid ID: Tool for Diagnosing Adult Twig Girdlers (Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Onciderini)
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Genus: Paratrachysomus

Diagnostic Features
  • Description: Elongate-oblong, robust, moderate to large-sized, ranging from about 19–29 mm in length. Integument generally dark brown or ferrugineous with whitish, ferrugineous, and ochraceous pubescence. Head with frons transverse, about as wide as width of three lower eye lobes. Eyes with lower lobes oblong. Genae elongate, about as tall as lower eye lobes. Antennal tubercles prominent, widely separated; tubercles not armed at apex or armed with a small projection; antennae about 3/4 as long (females) or slight longer (males); scape clavate, about as long or shorter than antennomere IV; antennomere III nearly straight or curved, longer than scape and antennomere IV. Pronotum transverse, roughly cylindrical to conical, wider at base, without lateral tubercles. Elytra with sides attenuate; elytral apices subtruncate; elytra generally uniform in coloration or speckled; base of elytra with several prominent tubercles at humeri. Basal 1/3 of elytra with moderate to dense punctation, surface coarsely punctate. Procoxae without projection. Mesosternal process with apex feebly emarginate. Metafemora short to distinctly short in length, about 1/4–1/5 as long as elytra.

  • The combination of the following characters will help to distinguish this genus: relatively large species; widely separated eyes; elytra with sides attenuate; elytral apices subtruncate; and short metafemora.

  • Similar genus/genera: the genus Paratrachysomus is distinct among Onciderini and the only genus with subtruncate elytra. However, Trachysomus is superficially similar.
Geographic Distribution
  • South America (Brazil, French Guiana)
Host Plants/Trees
  • This species has been collected on vines (M.A. Monné, personal communication).
Girdling Behavior
  • Unknown
Notes

The genus Paratrachysomus currently contains one species:
  Paratrachysomus huedepohli Monné & Fragoso, 1984 [holotype specimen, ♂]

Generic Synonymies
  • None
Selected References
 

Paratrachysomus huedepohli
holotype specimen, ♂
© E.H. Nearns

 

© 2011-2015 Nearns, E.H., Lord, N.P., and K.B. Miller
The University of New Mexico and Center for Plant Health Science and Technology, USDA, APHIS, PPQ.