Root Borer from Mexico

bugman

August 3rd, 2009 at 11:56 pm

Tags

Large cranky beetle
August 3, 2009
I found this guy in a new house I’m building in the fron yard, I grabbed him to get a better picture, with a better sun exposition, but it got really mad at me, so that when I let it free, it was chasing me really fast and it was very difficult to get the camera to focus and I guess it most be still looking for me somewhere.
Do you know what type of beetle it is?, it was around 4 in long.
Jorge Farias
Jalisco Mexico

Root Borer from Mexico

Hola Jorge,
This is a Root Borer in the subfamily Prioninae, but we are not certain of the species. Hopefully, one of our readers will be able to supply an exact species for us.

Unknown Mexican Prionid

Thanks Daniel!
I hope I can catch a midge in action. By the way, the root borer you posted is a Palo Verde beetle (Derobrachus geminatus). We have lot’s of them in Tucson- they’re HUGE, and they’re really active right now, during the monsoon. I like their fancy spiked collars! Here’s another!
Emily

Hi Emily,
Thanks for the suggestion on the Mexican Prionid. We agree that it is a Derobrachus, but there are other species of Derobrachus in Mexico and we are just not certain that this is a Palo Verde Root Borer or perhaps one of the others, like possibly Derobrachus sulcicornis. Jalisco is in central Mexico which supports our theory that this may be a different species. Since insects do not respect international borders, if this submission had been from Sonora or Chihuahua, we would say the Palo Verde Root Borer would be a more certain possibility.

Update from Eric Eaton
August 4, 2009
Hi, Daniel:
I agree with the identifications for both of the beetles: A species of Derobrachus, and an example of the “lion beetle” as offered by others. See what a great community you have created?:-) I tell you, I learn as much from WTB as I contribute….
… Keep up the great job, Daniel:-)
Eric