Wikipedia

Euchroma giganteum

Euchroma giganteum, the Metallic Wood Boring Beetle or Giant Metallic Ceiba Borer, is a species of beetle in the family Buprestidae, the only species in the genus Euchroma.[2]

Euchroma giganteum
Euchroma giganteum - Ceiba Borer
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Elateriformia
Family: Buprestidae
Subfamily: Chrysochroinae
Tribe: Paraleptodemini
Genus: Euchroma
Dejean, 1833
Species:
E. giganteum
Binomial name
Euchroma giganteum
Synonyms
Specimen found in Jamaica on an ackee tree (Blighia sapida). Remarkaby it resembles the ackee fruit pod.

Subspecies

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[3][4][5]

Description

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Euchroma giganteum is one of the largest of the buprestid beetles (hence the Latin name "giganteum" of the species), reaching a length of about 50–80 millimetres (2.0–3.1 in).[6]

Catoxantha and Megaloxantha are among the few other members of the family that reach a comparable size.[7]

The body of E. giganteum is robust and elongated and the elytra have a wrinkled surface and a metallic green colour with reddish or purplish tinges. The pronotum has a dark spot on each side.[6][4] The larvae reach a length of about 12–15 centimetres (4.7–5.9 in).[6] The elytra of newly emerged adults have a coating of a yellowish, waxy powder. As the beetle ages this powder wear off.[4]

Behavior

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The males apparently attract the females by a clicking sound produced by the elytra.[6] This species usually mates in August.[6][8] The larvae are miners of fallen timber, while adults are usually found walking around on the trunks of trees.

Diet

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Larvae feed on decaying timber, especially of the Bombacaceae family (kapok or ceiba trees, mainly Ceiba pentandra , Bombacopsis spp., Ochroma spp. and Pseudobombax spp.), but also of Araucaria angustifolia and Ficus species.[6]

Distribution and habitat

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This species is native to Central and South America (Mexico, Panama, Ecuador, Cuba, Jamaica, Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina y Venezuela (Guarenas-Naranjal)).[6] It lives in warm Amazon regions up to elevations of 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) above sea level.[6][4]

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References

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  1. ↑ "Zoobank". Archived from the original on 2020-07-28. Retrieved 2014-12-28.
  2. ↑ Bellamy, C. L. (2010). "Genus Euchroma". A Checklist of World Buprestoidea. Retrieved 21 Jun 2011.
  3. ↑ Biolib
  4. 1 2 3 4 Hogue, C.L. (1993) Latin American Insects and Entomology. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, California
  5. ↑ Moura, R.C., Melo, N.F. and Souza, M.J. (2008) High levels of chromosomal differentiation in Euchroma gigantea L. 1735 (Coleoptera, Buprestidae). Genetics and Molecular Biology, 31(2): 431-437
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Euchroma gigantea at Arkive.org". Retrieved 2011-12-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  7. ↑ Entomologi Italiani
  8. ↑ M. Louise Nichols - - The Spermatogenesis of Euchroma Gigantea
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