Subfamilia: CERAMBYCINAE / Tribus: HESPEROPHANINI
[Photo © M.Hoskovec]
Trichoferus samai has been described from Turkey by Stanislav Kadlec and Martin Rejzek [❖]. The biology of Trichoferus samai resembles Ropalopus ungaricus (Herbst, 1784) to some extent. About ten early instar larvae of Trichoferus samai were collected under bark of living branches of a shrubby maple (Acer sp.) species where they fed on phloem creating an irregularly oval area. Later they entered the wood where they constructed the pupal cells. The next year 2 adults appeared. We believe that under natural conditions the development lasts at least two years. It was very difficult to recognise an attacked branch. Only rarely did the larval activity cause splitting of the living bark and sometimes the sap was oozing from these wounds. Bases of the branches were attacked more frequently than their distal part.
Body length: 13 - 16 mm Life cycle: at least 2 years Adults in: July - August Host plant: maple (Acer sp.) Distribution: a species endemic to Turkey
The depicted beetles were reared from larvae collected in living maple found in the plateaus under summit of Nemrut Dagi Mt. (Adiyaman prov., Anatolia, SE Turkey). [❖]Collected by M.Rejzek
[❖]
Kadlec S. and Rejzek M.:
Trichoferus samai, a new species from Turkey (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae).
Biocosme Mésogéen, Nice 17 (4): 295-302, 2001.
Rejzek M. and Hoskovec M.:
Cerambycidae of Nemrut Dagi National Park (Anatolia, South-East Turkey).
Biocosme Mésogéen, Nice 15 (4): 257-272, 1999. [download]
Subfamilia: Cerambycinae Latreille, 1802
Tribus: Hesperophanini Mulsant, 1839
Genus: Trichoferus Wollaston, 1854
Species: Trichoferus samai Kadlec et Rejzek, 2001