Subject: Longhorn?
Location: Tanzania
November 11, 2016 11:58 pm
Was just wondering if this is a longhorn and if so what species? Im swedish so never mind the spelling.
Signature: Robin Lindström
Dear Robin,
You are correct that this is a Longicorn in the family Cerambycidae. We found a matching image on the PicClick website that is identified as Acanthophorus (Tithoes) confinis, and upon searching for that name, we found an individual for sale on Ebay for $450.00 which indicates this must not be a very common species. The large mandibles indicates that this is a male, and we have an image of a female Tithoes confinis in our archives. According to iNaturalist: “Tithoes confinis can reach a length of 55–100 millimetres (2.2–3.9 in). This beetle has a massive hairy body and strong mandibles. The basic colour is dark brown. Pronotum bears two spines on both edges. Adults are nocturnal. Larvae feed on Cashew Nut Trees (Anacardium occidentale) and other trees belonging to the Anacardiaceae family.”
Daniel and Robin, I just saw your post and Photos…. Very Nice People ! They are a wonderful ” Bug” to find and see a Large Breeding Adult Specimen alive , as 95 percent are only seen in mounted collections . I love the coloration pattern as well . Cheers ! Gene St. Denis Sierra Nevada Research