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Male Harlequin Beetle from Brazil

Posted by December 10th, 2007 at 1:00 am

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Longhorn Beetles

Help…
What is this insect ?? Thanks for your help ! I do Brasil
Eduardo Miguel Simon

harlequin beetle miguel Male Harlequin Beetle from Brazilharlequin beetle miguel cu Male Harlequin Beetle from Brazil

Hi Eduardo,
This strikingly gorgeous beetle is known as the Harlequin Beetle, Acrocinus longimanus. It is one of the wood boring beetles in the family Cerambycidae. The God of Insects site selected this species as the Bug of the Month in June 2006 and writes: “A fantastic Neotropical longhorn beetle, conspicuous for it’s large size, beautiful colors and the amazing length of the front legs on the male. These elongated limbs (much reduced in the female) are a secondary sex characteristic, used in mating. It should also be noted that it aids them in traversing the tree trunks on which they can be found. Females seek out old trees, such as Ficus, that are infested with bracket fungi. An incision is made in the bark and an egg deposited. Larvae bore into the timber for 7-8 months and then pupate for the remainder of the year, to emerge and start the cycle anew.”

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  1. From Harlequin Beetle from Brazil | What's That Bug? on 15 Jan 2009 at 8:56 am

    [...] of the Longhorned Borer Beetles or Longicorn Beetles in the family Cerambycidae.  We have received several letters in the past with photos of this stunning [...]

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