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

Diagnostic Features
  • Description: Elongate-ovate, robust, moderate-sized, ranging from about 13–18 mm in length. Integument generally dark brown or ferrugineous with whitish, brown, ferrugineous, and ochraceous pubescence. Head with frons elongate, about as wide as width of two lower eye lobes. Eyes with lower lobes ovate-oblong. Genae elongate, about as tall or distinctly taller than lower eye lobes. Antennal tubercles prominent, narrowly separated; tubercles not armed at apex; antennae about as long as overall body length or as much as 1 2/3 times as long; scape clavate, about as long or longer than antennomere IV; antennomere III curved, about as long or longer than scape and longer than antennomere IV. Pronotum transverse, strongly conical, distinctly wider at base, without lateral tubercles. Elytra with sides strongly attenuate; elytral apices individually rounded; elytra generally uniform in coloration or speckled; base of elytra with four strongly projecting, large, obtuse tubercles. Basal 1/3 of elytra with dense punctation, surface coarsely punctate. Procoxae without projection or with small acute projection or distinct, curved hook (males). Mesosternal process with apex feebly to deeply emarginate. Metafemora moderate in length, about 1/3 as long as elytra.

  • The combination of the following characters will help to distinguish this genus: strongly transverse, conical pronotum, without lateral tubercles; elytra generally uniform in coloration or lightly speckled; and base of elytra with four strongly projecting, large, obtuse tubercles.

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

The genus Typhlocerus currently contains one species:
  Typhlocerus prodigiosus (Thomson, 1868) [♀ specimen]

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

Typhlocerus prodigiosus
♀ 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.