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Beetles of Zihuatanejo

ORDER COLEOPTERA

Rough-coated Longhorned Beetle
Ecyrus dasycerus

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

-Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

-Insects (Class Insecta)

-Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

-Beetles (Order Coleoptera​​)

-​Water, Rove, Scarab, Long-horned, Leaf, and Snout Beetles (Suborder Polyphaga)

-​Cucujiform Beetles (Infraorder Cucujiformia)

-Longhorn Beetles (Family Cerambycidae)​

-​Flat-faced Longhorn Beetles (Subfamily Lamiinae)

-Tribe Pogonocherini

-Genus Ecyrus

-Rough-coated Longhorned Beetle (Ecyrus dasycerus)


The rough-coated longhorned beetle (Ecyrus dasycerus) is a medium-sized beetle in the family Cerambycidae, notable for its elongated body and very long antennae that often equal or exceed the body length. Its coloration is generally dark brown to black, and the surface of the elytra and thorax is covered with coarse, rough hairs or granules, giving the beetle a dull, textured appearance that matches its common name. Like many longhorned beetles, the larvae are wood-borers, developing inside dead or dying wood, while adults are usually found resting on trunks or branches.

Diet

  • Larvae: Wood-boring, developing within the wood of hardwood trees, particularly oak (Quercus) and hackberry (Celtis). The larvae tunnel through the wood as they develop.

  • Adults: Adult feeding is not well documented; they may feed on bark, sap, foliage, or other plant material, but adults are also commonly encountered at lights.

Range

  • Ecyrus dasycerus has a broad distribution extending from eastern Canada and the eastern United States through Texas and into Mexico.

  • It is documented from Mexico, including Guerrero, and is recorded from the Zihuatanejo region.

Habitat

  • Associated with deciduous forests, woodland, forest edges, dead or dying hardwood trees, fallen branches, and other woody debris.

  • Larvae develop within woody material, while adults may be encountered on tree trunks, branches, vegetation, and around lights.

  • In the Zihuatanejo area, it is associated with tropical and seasonally dry woodland habitats where suitable hardwood hosts occur.

Size

  • Adult length: approximately 4–10 mm (0.16–0.39 in).

  • The beetle has a compact, somewhat cylindrical body covered with dense, coarse hairs and scales, producing its characteristic rough appearance.

  • Antennae are long and conspicuous, although generally not dramatically longer than the body.


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