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

Diagnostic Features
  • Description: Elongate-oblong, small-sized, ranging from 7–9 mm in length. Integument generally dark brown or black with greenish and ochraceous pubescence. Head with frons elongate, about as wide as width of 1 1/2 lower eye lobes. Eyes with lower lobes oblong. Genae elongate, distinctly shorter than lower eye lobes. Antennal tubercles prominent, narrowly separated, contiguous at base; tubercles not armed at apex or armed with a small projection; antennae distinctly longer than overall body length, as much as 3 times longer; scape gradually expanded to apex, shorter than antennomere IV; antennomere III nearly straight, longer than scape and antennomere IV; antennomere XI shorter than X (females) or longer than X (males). Pronotum transverse, roughly cylindrical, without lateral tubercles. Elytra with sides roughly parallel; elytral apices individually rounded; elytra generally uniform in coloration or speckled, or with distinct maculae; base of elytra without tubercles or with two prominent tubercles at humeri. Basal 1/3 of elytra with dense punctation, surface coarsely punctate to granulate-punctate. Procoxae without projection. Mesosternal process with apex subtruncate. Metafemora moderate to short in length, about 1/3–1/4 as long as elytra.

  • The combination of the following characters will help to distinguish this genus: distinctly small form; narrowly separated antennal tubercles, contiguous at base; gradually expanded scape; antennae distinctly longer than overall body length, as much as 3 times longer; roughly cylindrical pronotum, without lateral tubercles; and elytra with sides roughly parallel.

  • Similar genus/genera: strongly resembles Cylicasta.
Geographic Distribution
  • South America (Brazil)
Host Plants/Trees
  • Unknown
Girdling Behavior
  • Unknown
Notes

The genus Pericasta currently contains one species:
  Pericasta virescens (Aurivillius, 1920) [♂ specimen]
  Pericasta virescens (Aurivillius, 1920) [type specimen, ♂]

Generic Synonymies
  • The type species of this genus was originally described in the genus Cylicasta.
Selected References
 

Pericasta virescens
♂ 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.