Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Acanthinodera cumingii

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Kingdom
  
Animalia

Order
  
Coleoptera

Family
  
Cerambycidae

Phylum
  
Arthropoda

Class
  
Insecta

Suborder
  
Polyphaga

Genus
  
Acanthinodera

Rank
  
Species

In a white background With a watermarks of Capt.Ph.Bourdon at the top and middle, Acanthinodera Cumingii is an insect beetle that has shiny dark brown wing case, a long antenna, with six legs tipped with large claws, a thick mandible, and short palps.

Similar
  
Calocomus, Braderochus, Ctenoscelis, Apterocaulus, Cantharocnemis

Acanthinodera cumingii


Acanthinodera cumingii (Spanish: Madre de la Culebra, literally "mother of the snake") is a longhorned beetle in the family Cerambycidae and subfamily Prioninae. It is the only species in the genus Acanthinodera, and is one of the largest species of beetle in Chile. The beetle is endemic to central Chile and can be found from IV Coquimbo Region to IX La Araucanía Region.

Contents

In a white background With a watermarks of Capt.Ph.Bourdon at the top and middle, Acanthinodera Cumingii is an insect beetle that has a yellow hairy head and hairy dark brown wing case, a long antenna, with six legs tipped with large claws, a thick mandible, and short palps. At the bottom is a word “male”

Madre de la culebra acanthinodera cumingii parque nacional la campana


Range

In a white background, On the left, a female Acanthinodera Cumingii is an insect beetle that has shiny dark brown wing case, a long antenna, with six legs tipped with large claws, a thick mandible, and short palps. At the right is a male, Acanthinodera Cumingii is an insect beetle that has a yellow hairy head and hairy dark brown wing case, a long antenna, with six legs tipped with large claws, a thick mandible, and short palps.

The species is endemic to Chile, and can be found from the south of the Region of Coquimbo to the Malleco Province in the Region of Araucanía. It can be found from sea level to the Precordillera hills.

Conservation

In a white background, Acanthinodera Cumingii is an insect beetle that has a yellow hairy head and hairy dark brown wing case, a long antenna, with six legs tipped with large claws, a thick mandible, and short palps.

In its native habitat in Chile the insect is vulnerable to habitat destruction from logging and construction. Due to its large size, the beetle is also vulnerable to being caught and killed by people, exacerbating the danger of extinction.

Description

Two preserved beetles pinned on a white paper, On the left, a female Acanthinodera Cumingii is an insect beetle that has shiny dark brown wing case, a long antenna, with six legs tipped with large claws, a thick mandible, and short palps. At the right is a male, Acanthinodera Cumingii is an insect beetle that has a yellow hairy head and hairy dark brown wing case, a long antenna, with six legs tipped with large claws, a thick mandible, and short palps.

The species has a particularly marked sexual dimorphism, which originally led naturalists to classify the male and female as distinct species. The male measures 5 to 6 cm, is light brown and clearly differs from the female. The female is black and measures between 8 and 9 cm on averages, although specimens exceeding 12 cm in length have also been found. The male is nocturnal and can fly, while the female is diurnal and does not fly.

Life cycle

The life cycle of A. cumingii has been little studied. The females lay more than 100 white eggs resembling grains of rice in the dry trunks of trees and in decomposing vegetation. The length of time between eggs and adulthood can take six years, depending on humidity and food availability. Larva can reach sizes as large as 13 cm in length. For this reason the common name of the insect is "the mother of the snake" in Spanish.

A preserved beetle pinned on a white paper, Acanthinodera Cumingii is an insect beetle that has a yellow hairy head and hairy dark brown wing case, a long antenna, with six legs tipped with large claws, a thick mandible, and short palps. At the right bottom is a word written “Photo Francesco Vitali”

The insect plays an important ecosystem role in decomposition of dead wood. The larval stage has been found living in approximately 30 species of trees, both indigenous and invasive. This includes Eucalyptus which is an invasive tree in Chile.

On a ground with soil and dirt, a female Acanthinodera Cumingii is an insect beetle that has shiny black wing case, a long antenna, with six legs tipped with large claws, a thin mandible, and short palps.

The insects are occasionally preyed upon by mammalian carnivores, such as foxes. However, the strong jaws of the insect, used for eating wood, may provide a defense.

Synonyms

In a white background, from left, a female Acanthinodera Cumingii is an insect beetle that has shiny dark brown wing case with a pointed abdomen, a long antenna, with six legs tipped with large claws, a thick mandible, and short palps. At the right a female Acanthinodera Cumingii is an insect beetle that has shiny dark brown pointed abdomen, a long antenna, with six legs tipped with large claws, a thick mandible, and short palps.
  • Acanthinodera cumigii Jeniš,
  • Acanthinodera cumingi Bleuzen,
  • Acanthinodera cumingii Elgueta & Cerda,
  • Acanthinodera cummingi Barriga & al., 1993
  • Acanthinodera cummingii Arias, 2000
  • Amallopodes scabrosus Blanchard, 1851
  • Ancistrotus cumingi Angulo & Weigart, 1974
  • Ancistrotus cummingi Cekalovic, 1967
  • Malloderes microcephalus Berge, 1844
  • Malloderus microcephalus Drapiez, 1841
  • Prionus cumingii Hope, 1833
  • Prionus mercurius Berge, 1844

    • References

    Acanthinodera cumingii Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA