ssp. ungaricus (Herbst, 1784)
[= Rhopalopus ungaricus (Herbst, 1784)]
Subfamilia: CERAMBYCINAE / Tribus: CALLIDIINI
[Photo © M.Hoskovec]
Ropalopus ungaricus is a rare and endangered mountainous European species. It develops in living or dying Acer pseudoplatanus. The adult beetles are not easy to find as they usually sit on leaves or bark in the canopy region of the host trees, and the larvae too, can be difficult to find. The only hallmark of the beetle's presence is a wounded region in the living bark of the host clearly visible shortly after the beetle has hatched. However, even this can disappear quite quickly, as a result of the the tree's ability to heal these wounds to some extent.
Body length: 12 - 24 mm Life cycle: 2 years Adults in: June - August Host plant: polyphagous in deciduous trees, but strongly preferring maples (Acer spp.) Distribution: Central and SE Europe, Italy, France
This beetle was collected in Slovak Republic.Collected by M.Rejzek
The taxonomic Gordian knot of the Ropalopus ungaricus/insubricus group was elegantly cut by our Polish friends (Lech KARPIŃSKI, Wojciech T. SZCZEPAŃSKI and Lech KRUSZELNICKI) in their latest brilliant publication:
Karpiński L., Szczepański W.T. & Kruszelnicki L.:
Revision of the Ropalopus ungaricus/insubricus group (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Callidiini) from the western Palaearctic region.
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society XX: 1–41, 2020.
Subfamilia: Cerambycinae Latreille, 1802
Tribus: Callidiini Mulsant, 1839
Genus: Ropalopus Mulsant, 1839
Subgenus: Ropalopus Mulsant, 1839
Species: Ropalopus (Ropalopus) ungaricus (Herbst, 1784)
Subpecies: Ropalopus (Ropalopus) ungaricus ungaricus (Herbst, 1784)