Longhorn beetle - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.

org/wiki/Longhorn_beetle

Longhorn beetle
(Redirected from Cerambycidae)

The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as

long-horned or longicorns (whose larvae are often Cerambycidae
referred to as roundheaded borers), are a large family of Temporal range:
beetles, with over 35,000 species described.[2]

Most species are characterized by antennae as long as or

longer than the beetle's body. A few species have short
antennae (e.g., Neandra brunnea), making them difficult to
distinguish from related families such as Chrysomelidae.
"Cerambycidae" comes from a Greek mythological figure:
after an argument with nymphs, the shepherd Cerambus is
transformed into a large beetle with horns.

Longhorn beetles are found on all continents except

Antarctica.[3] Batus barbicornis

Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Description
Kingdom: Animalia
Other than the typical long antennal length, the most
Phylum: Arthropoda
consistently distinctive feature of adults of this family is that
the antennal sockets are located on low tubercles on the Class: Insecta
face; other beetles with long antennae lack these tubercles, Order: Coleoptera
and cerambycids with short antennae still possess them.
Suborder: Polyphaga
They otherwise vary greatly in size, shape, sculpture, and
coloration. A number of species mimic ants, bees, and Infraorder: Cucujiformia
wasps, though a majority of species are cryptically colored. Superfamily: Chrysomeloidea
The titan beetle (Titanus giganteus) from northeastern
Family: Cerambycidae
South America is often considered the largest insect (though
not the heaviest, and not the longest including legs), with a Latreille, 1802 [1]

maximum known body length of just over 16.7 cm (6.6 in). Subfamilies
[4]
Nine; see text
Larvae are 0.5–22 cm (0.20–8.66 in) long, elongate in
shape and lightly sclerotised. The prothorax is often
enlarged and the sides of the body have lateral swellings (ampullae). The head is usually retracted
into the prothorax and bears well-sclerotised mouthparts. Larval legs range from moderately
developed to absent. The spiracles are always annular.[5]

1 of 8 3/19/2025, 8:07 PM
Longhorn beetle - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longhorn_beetle

Biology

Diet The larva of the fig-tree borer,

Phryneta spinator, has the shape
All known longhorn beetle larvae feed on plant tissue such as
typical of larvae of Cerambycidae,
stems, trunks, or roots of both herbaceous and woody plants, straight and legless, termed
often in injured or weak trees.[6] A few species are serious apodous eruciform, but on some of
pests. The larvae, called roundheaded borers, bore into its segments it has swellings that aid
wood, where they can cause extensive damage to either living in locomotion, especially in the
trees or untreated lumber (or, occasionally, to wood in tunnels it chews through wood.
buildings; the old-house borer, Hylotrupes bajulus, is a
particular problem indoors).

Many longhorns locate and recognize potential hosts by

detecting chemical attractants, including monoterpenes
(compounds released en masse by woody plants when
stressed), ethanol (another compound emitted by damaged
plant material), and even bark beetle pheromones. Many
scolytine weevils share the cerambycid's niche of weakened or
recently deceased trees; thus, by locating scolytinids, a suitable
host can likely be located as well. The arrival of cerambycid
larvae is often detrimental to a population of scolytinids, as the
cerambycid larvae will typically either outcompete them with Eburia quadrigeminata, the Ivory
their greater size and mobility, or act as direct predators of Marked Borer
them (this latter practice is less common, but has been
observed in several species, notably Monochamus
carolinensis). Cerambycids, in turn, have been found to play a role in attracting other wood-borers
to a host.[7] Borgemeister, et al. 1998, recorded that cerambycid activity in girdled twigs released
volatiles attractive to some bostrichids, especially Prostephanus truncatus.[8] A few cerambycids,
such as Arhopalus sp., are adapted to take advantage of trees recently killed or injured by forest
fires by detecting and pursuing smoke volatiles.

Adults of Lamiinae, most Lepturinae and some Cerambycinae also feed. Adults of Parandrinae,
Prioninae and Spondylidinae do not feed. In those taxa with feeding adults, common foods are
nectar, pollen, fruit and sap exudates. Some (mainly Lamiinae) feed on bark, plant stems, needles
or developing cones. Roots are consumed by larvae and sometimes also adults of soil-dwelling
Dorcadion. The genus Leiopus is known to feed on fungi. Lastly, the genus Elytroleptus is unusual
in having carnivorous adults, which prey on lycid beetles.[9]

Pollination
In addition to feeding on other plant tissue, some species feed on pollen or nectar and may act as
pollinators. Assessing the efficacy of beetle pollinators is difficult. Even if pollination of one species

2 of 8 3/19/2025, 8:07 PM
Longhorn beetle - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longhorn_beetle

by beetles is shown, that same beetle may also act as a flower predator toward other species. In
some cases, beetles may act as both pollinators and predators on the same flowers.[10]

Flowers specializing in pollination by beetles typically display a particular set of traits, but
pollination by longhorn beetles is not limited to these cantharophilous flowers. A review of
angiosperm pollination by beetles shows that Cerambycidae, along with Curculionidae and
Scarabaeidae, contains many taxa that are pollinators for not only specialist but also generalist
systems.[11]

Beetles in the New Zealand genus Zorion are known to feed on pollen and have a specialized
structure similar to that of pollen baskets found in bees.[12] Species in this genus are thought to be
important pollinator species for native plants such as harakeke.[13]

Some orchid species have been found to be largely reliant on longhorn beetles for pollination. The
species Alosterna tabacicolor was found to be the main pollinator of a rare orchid species
(Dactylorhiza fuchsii) in Poland.[14] Another rare orchid Disa forficaria, found in the Cape
Floristic Region in South Africa, relies on the species Chorothyse hessei for pollination. D.
forficaria uses sexual deception targeting male C. hessei, possibly indicating a long history of co-
evolution with longhorn beetle pollinators.[15]

The proportion of longhorn beetle species that act as

pollinators is unknown. The fact that two species of longhorn
species from distinct subfamilies (Lepturinae and
Cerambycinae) found on different continents both with
significant roles as pollinators could suggest that some capacity
for pollination may be common among longhorn beetles.

Predators
Flower-visiting species, Zorion
guttigerum.
Parasitoids
In North America some native cerambycids are the hosts of
Ontsira mellipes (a parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae).[16] O. mellipes may be useful in
controlling a forestry pest in this same family, Anoplophora glabripennis, that is invasive in North
America.[16]

Classification
As with many large families, different authorities have tended to recognize many different
subfamilies, or sometimes split subfamilies off as separate families entirely (e.g., Disteniidae,
Oxypeltidae, and Vesperidae);[17] there is thus some instability and controversy regarding the
constituency of the Cerambycidae.[18] There are few truly defining features for the group as a
whole, at least as adults, as there are occasional species or species groups which may lack any given
feature; the family and its closest relatives, therefore, constitute a taxonomically difficult group,

3 of 8 3/19/2025, 8:07 PM
Longhorn beetle - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longhorn_beetle

and relationships of the various lineages are still poorly understood.

[19] The oldest unambiguous fossils of the family are Cretoprionus and

Sinopraecipuus from Yixian Formation of Inner Mongolia and

Liaoning, China, dating to the Aptian stage of the Early Cretaceous,
approximately 122 million years ago. The former genus was assigned
to the subfamily Prioninae in its original description, while the latter
could not be placed in any extant subfamily.[20][21] Qitianniu from the
mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber of Myanmar, dating to approximately
100 million years ago, also could not be placed in any extant
subfamily.[22]

Subfamilies
The subfamilies of Cerambycidae are:[23][24] Decora longicorn
(Amphirhoe decora)

▪ Apatophyseinae Lacordaire, 1869 (included in Bouchard 2011[23] but

not Švácha 2014[24])
▪ Cerambycinae Latreille, 1802
▪ Dorcasominae Lacordaire, 1869 (Švácha 2014 includes
Apatophyseinae in Dorcasominae)[24]
▪ Lamiinae Latreille, 1825
▪ Lepturinae Latreille, 1802
Gerania bosci
▪ Necydalinae Latreille, 1825
▪ Parandrinae Blanchard, 1845
▪ Prioninae Latreille, 1802
▪ Spondylidinae Audinet-Serville, 1832 (including former
Aseminae Thomson, 1860)
Most species (90.5%) are concentrated in the Cerambycinae
and Lamiinae subfamilies.[3]

Notable genera and species

Anoplophora chinensis

▪ Acrocinus longimanus – harlequin beetle, a large species

where the male has very long front legs
▪ Anoplophora chinensis – citrus longhorn beetle, a major pest
▪ Anoplophora glabripennis – Asian longhorn beetle, an invasive pest species
▪ Aridaeus thoracicus – tiger longicorn (Australia)
▪ Cacosceles newmannii - Southern African longhorn beetle that is a sugarcane pest
▪ Derobrachus hovorei - palo verde longhorn beetle
▪ Desmocerus californicus dimorphus – valley elderberry longhorn beetle, a threatened
subspecies from California
▪ Moneilema – cactus longhorn beetles, which are flightless

4 of 8 3/19/2025, 8:07 PM
Longhorn beetle - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longhorn_beetle

▪ Onychocerus albitarsis – the only known beetle with a

venomous sting
▪ Petrognatha gigas – giant African longhorn beetle
▪ Prionoplus reticularis – huhu beetle, the heaviest beetle in
New Zealand
▪ Rosalia alpina – Rosalia longhorn beetle, a threatened
European species
▪ Stictoleptura rubra – red-brown longhorn beetle
▪ Tetraopes tetrophthalmus – red milkweed longhorn beetle,
a toxic species with aposematic colors Common tuft bearing longhorn
▪ Tetropium fuscum – brown spruce longhorn beetle, an beetle (Aristobia approximator)
invasive pest species
▪ Titanus giganteus – titan beetle, one of the largest beetles
in the world
▪ Zorion guttigerum - flower longhorn beetle, an important pollinator species.

See also
▪ List of longhorn beetle (Cerambycidae) species recorded in Britain
▪ List of beetles of Nepal (Cerambycidae)

References
1. "Cerambycidae Latreille, 1802" (https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=
TSN&search_value=114497). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved June 6,
2011.
2. "Cerambycidae - Longhorn beetles | NatureSpot" (https://www.naturespot.org.uk/family/ceramb
ycidae).
3. Rossa, R.; Goczał, J. (2021-01-01). "Global diversity and distribution of longhorn beetles
(Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)" (https://doi.org/10.1080%2F24750263.2021.1883129). The
European Zoological Journal. 88 (1): 289–302. doi:10.1080/24750263.2021.1883129 (https://d
oi.org/10.1080%2F24750263.2021.1883129). ISSN 2475-0263 (https://search.worldcat.org/iss
n/2475-0263).
4. Barclay, Max (2010). "Titanus giganteus Linnaeus (1771)" (http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/
species-of-the-day/biodiversity/loss-of-habitat/titanus-giganteus/index.html). Natural History
Museum. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
5. "Wood Boring Beetle Families - Cerambycidae" (https://idtools.org/id/wbb/families/Wood_Borin
g_Beetle_Keys/Woodboring_Families/Media/Html/Fact_sheets/Cerambycidae.html).
idtools.org. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
6. Kariyanna, B; Mohan, M & Gupta, Rajeev (2017). "Biology, ecology and significance of
longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)" (https://www.entomoljournal.com/archives/?year
=2017&vol=5&issue=4&ArticleId=2190). Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies. 5: 1207–
1212. ISSN 2320-7078 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/2320-7078).

5 of 8 3/19/2025, 8:07 PM
Longhorn beetle - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longhorn_beetle

7. Allison, Jeremy D.; Borden, John H.; Seybold, Steven J. (2004). "A review of the chemical
ecology of the Cerambycidae" (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225670380).
Chemoecology. 14: 123–150. doi:10.1007/s00049-004-0277-1 (https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00
049-004-0277-1). S2CID 1995065 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:1995065) – via
ResearchGate.
8. Borgemeister, Christian; Goergen, George; Tchabi, Atti; Awande, Symphorien; Markham,
Richard H.; Scholz, Dagmar (1998). "Exploitation of a woody host plant and cerambycid-
associated volatiles as host-finding clues by the larger grain borer" (https://www.researchgate.n
et/publication/233690356). Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 91 (5): 741–747.
doi:10.1093/aesa/91.5.741 (https://doi.org/10.1093%2Faesa%2F91.5.741) – via
ResearchGate.
9. Haack, R. A. (2017). "Feeding Biology of Cerambycids". In Qiao, Wang (ed.). Cerambycidae of
the World: Biology and Pest Management. CRC Press. ISBN 9780367573973.
10. Gottsberger, Gerhard (1977), Kubitzki, Klaus (ed.), "Some Aspects of Beetle Pollination in the
Evolution of Flowering Plants" (https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-7076-2_14), Flowering
Plants: Evolution and Classification of Higher Categories Symposium, Hamburg, September 8–
12, 1976, Plant Systematics and Evolution / Entwicklungsgeschichte und Systematik der
Pflanzen, Vienna: Springer, pp. 211–226, doi:10.1007/978-3-7091-7076-2_14 (https://doi.org/1
0.1007%2F978-3-7091-7076-2_14), ISBN 978-3-7091-7076-2, retrieved 2023-10-18
11. Bernhardt, Peter (2000), Dafni, Amots; Hesse, Michael; Pacini, Ettore (eds.), "Convergent
Evolution and Adaptive Radiation of Beetle-Pollinated Angiosperms" (https://doi.org/10.1007/97
8-3-7091-6306-1_16), Pollen and Pollination, Vienna: Springer, pp. 293–320,
doi:10.1007/978-3-7091-6306-1_16 (https://doi.org/10.1007%2F978-3-7091-6306-1_16),
ISBN 978-3-7091-6306-1, retrieved 2023-10-18
12. Schnitzler, Franz-Rudolf; Wang, Qiao (2005-10-18). "Revision of Zorion Pascoe (Coleoptera:
Cerambycidae), an endemic genus of New Zealand" (https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/z
ootaxa.1066.1.1). Zootaxa. 1066 (1): 1–42. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1066.1.1 (https://doi.org/10.1
1646%2Fzootaxa.1066.1.1). ISSN 1175-5334 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1175-5334).
13. "Meet our pollinators | EPA" (https://www.epa.govt.nz/everyday-environment/animals-and-insec
ts/bees/meet-our-pollinators/). www.epa.govt.nz. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
14. Gutowski, Jerzy M. (1990-01-01). "Pollination of the orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii by longhorn
beetles in primeval forests of Northeastern Poland" (https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0006-3207%289
0%2990114-5). Biological Conservation. 51 (4): 287–297. Bibcode:1990BCons..51..287G (http
s://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1990BCons..51..287G). doi:10.1016/0006-3207(90)90114-5 (http
s://doi.org/10.1016%2F0006-3207%2890%2990114-5). ISSN 0006-3207 (https://search.worldc
at.org/issn/0006-3207).
15. GASKETT, ANNE C. (2012-04-17). "Floral shape mimicry and variation in sexually deceptive
orchids with a shared pollinator" (https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2012.01902.x).
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 106 (3): 469–481. doi:10.1111/
j.1095-8312.2012.01902.x (https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1095-8312.2012.01902.x).
ISSN 0024-4066 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0024-4066).
16. "PPQ Scientists Evaluate Wasp's Ability to Detect and Attack the Asian Longhorned Beetle" (ht
tps://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/ppq-program-overview/plant-protection-to
day/articles/alb-biocontrol). PPQ (Plant Protection and Quarantine). USDA APHIS. Retrieved
2021-09-07.

6 of 8 3/19/2025, 8:07 PM
Longhorn beetle - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longhorn_beetle

17. Vanin, Sergio Antonio & Ide, Sergio (2002). "Classificação comentada de Coleoptera" [An
annotated classification of the Coleoptera]. In C. Costa; S. A. Vanin; J. M. Lobo & A. Melic
(eds.). Proyecto de Red Iberoamericana de Biogeografía y Entomología Sistemática PrIBES
2002 (http://www.sea-entomologia.org/PDF/M3M_PRIBES_2002/193_206_Vanin.pdf) (PDF).
Monografias Tercer Milenio (M3M) (in Portuguese). Vol. 3. pp. 193–206. ISBN 84-922495-8-7.
18. Monné, Miguel A. (2006). "Catalogue of the Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) of the Neotropical
Region. Part III. Subfamilies Parandrinae, Prioninae, Anoplodermatinae, Aseminae,
Spondylidinae, Lepturinae, Oxypeltinae, and addenda to the Cerambycinae and Lamiinae" (htt
p://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2006f/z01212p244f.pdf) (PDF excerpt). Zootaxa. 1212: 1–244.
doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1212.1.1 (https://doi.org/10.11646%2Fzootaxa.1212.1.1).
ISBN 1-877407-96-8.
19. Arnett, et al. (2002). American Beetles, Vol. 2. CRC Press, 861 pp.
20. Wang, Bo; Ma, Junye; McKenna, Duane D.; Yan, Evgeny V.; Zhang, Haichun; Jarzembowski,
Edmund A. (2013-08-09). "The earliest known longhorn beetle (Cerambycidae: Prioninae) and
implications for the early evolution of Chrysomeloidea" (https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14772019.20
13.806602). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 12 (5): 565–574.
doi:10.1080/14772019.2013.806602 (https://doi.org/10.1080%2F14772019.2013.806602).
ISSN 1477-2019 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1477-2019). S2CID 86312026 (https://api.se
manticscholar.org/CorpusID:86312026).
21. Yu, Yali; Ślipiński, Adam; Reid, Chris; Shih, ChungKun; Pang, Hong; Ren, Dong (January
2015). "A new longhorn beetle (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from the Early Cretaceous Jehol
Biota of Western Liaoning in China" (https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S019566711400
0378). Cretaceous Research. 52: 453–460. Bibcode:2015CrRes..52..453Y (https://ui.adsabs.h
arvard.edu/abs/2015CrRes..52..453Y). doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2014.02.019 (https://doi.org/10.10
16%2Fj.cretres.2014.02.019).
22. Lin, Mei-Ying; Bai, Ming (July 2017). "Qitianniu zhihaoi gen. et sp. nov.: The first cerambycid
beetle found in Cretaceous Burmese amber (Coleoptera: Chrysomeloidea)" (https://linkinghu
b.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0195667116304050). Cretaceous Research. 75: 173–178.
Bibcode:2017CrRes..75..173L (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017CrRes..75..173L).
doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2017.03.030 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.cretres.2017.03.030).
23. Bouchard, Patrice; Bousquet, Yves; Davies, Anthony E.; Alonso-Zarazaga, Miguel A.; et al.
(2011). "Family-group names in Coleoptera (Insecta)" (https://zookeys.pensoft.net/articles.php?
id=4001). ZooKeys (88): 1–972. Bibcode:2011ZooK...88....1B (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/ab
s/2011ZooK...88....1B). doi:10.3897/zookeys.88.807 (https://doi.org/10.3897%2Fzookeys.88.80
7). PMC 3088472 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3088472). PMID 21594053
(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21594053).
24. Švácha, P.; Lawrence, J. (2014). "2.4. Cerambycidae Latreille, 1802" (https://www.zin.ru/animal
ia/coleoptera/pdf/svacha_lawrence_2014_cerambycidae.pdf) (PDF). In Leschen, R.A.B.;
Beutel, R.G. (eds.). Handbook of Zoology, Arthropoda: Insecta; Coleoptera, Beetles, Volume 3:
Morphology and Systematics (Phytophaga). Berlin/Boston: Walter de Gruyter. pp. 77–177.
doi:10.1515/9783110274462.77 (https://doi.org/10.1515%2F9783110274462.77).
ISBN 978-3-11-027446-2.

Further reading
▪ Monné, Miguel A. & Hovore, Frank T. (2005) Electronic Checklist of the Cerambycidae of the
Western Hemisphere. PDF (https://web.archive.org/web/20070207114701/http://www.ceramby
cids.com/checklist/Monne%26Hovore_2005.pdf) Cerambycids.com (http://www.cerambycids.co

7 of 8 3/19/2025, 8:07 PM
Longhorn beetle - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longhorn_beetle

m/)

External links
▪ Photo gallery "Longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae) of the West Palaearctic Region" (http://www.c
erambyx.uochb.cz)
▪ [1] (http://bezbycids.com/byciddb/wdefault.asp?w=n) and [2] (http://bezbycids.com/byciddb/wde
fault.asp?w=o) Catalogs of New World and Old World Cerambycidae, respectively
▪ Cerambycidae of French Guiana (http://pagesperso-orange.fr/cerambycidae/accueil.htm)
▪ National Museu, Rio, Brazil (http://www.cerambycids.com/brazil/mnrj/default.asp?Action=Show
_All) Holotype images
▪ Iberodorcadion Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Dorcadion - RedIRIS (http://entomologia.rediris.es/i
berodorcadion/)
▪ VIDEOS - Longicornes (Dorcadion, Cerambycidae, Coleoptera) (http://entomologia.rediris.es/ib
erodorcadion/Fotos/videoblog1.html)
▪ Cerambycidae of Borneo pdf (http://www.zin.ru/animalia/Coleoptera/pdf/borneo_catalog_electr
onic_version_2005-1.pdf)
▪ BugGuide.net - Longhorned Beetles (Cerambycidae) (https://bugguide.net/node/view/171)
▪ Anoplophora chinensis, citrus longhorned beetle (http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/trees/
beetles/citrus_longhorned_beetle.htm) on the University of Florida / Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences Featured Creatures website
▪ Coleoptera: Cerambycidae (https://web.archive.org/web/20100128092735/http://entomology.ifa
s.ufl.edu/foltz/eny3005/lab1/coleoptera/Cerambycid.htm), University of Florida, Dept. of
Entomology and Nematology
▪ Wood-boring beetles of the World (http://wbbresource.org/default.asp?action=home)
▪ [3] (http://BiologyEcologyandsignificancelonghorn.pdf)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Longhorn_beetle&oldid=1278256017"

8 of 8 3/19/2025, 8:07 PM