Longhorn beetle - Longhorn beetle imitation

A general term for insects belonging to the family Oedemeridae in the order Coleoptera of the class Insecta. They are distributed all over the world, mostly in tropical and subtropical regions, and about 1,000 species are known. There are more than 40 species native to Japan. They are slender beetles with a body length of 5 to 25 mm, and at first glance resemble longhorn beetles, but they have five tarsals and four hind legs, and their heads are flat on the back and protrude forward. Their prothorax has no lateral margins and is somewhat wide at the front, and their upper legs are long and parallel on both sides in many cases. Their legs are thin, but males of the Oedemeridae genus have swollen femurs. Their sex can generally be determined by the shape of the end of their abdomen. Adults appear from spring to summer, and can be seen on tree leaves. Many gather on flowers to feed on nectar and pollen. Many also gather around lights at night. The larvae are long, cylindrical, and soft, and usually grow and hibernate in rotting wood, although some species feed on the pith of plant stems. The species that come to light at night contain in their body fluids an agent similar to cantharidin, and many of them can cause welts on the skin if they are crushed or rubbed after landing on the human body. These species are commonly known as lamp beetles, and the false lamp beetles of the South Seas Islands are well known, while the false amber longhorn beetle of Hokkaido and the false Ogasawara longhorn beetle of the Ogasawara Islands also cause serious damage.

[Takehiko Nakane]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

昆虫綱甲虫目カミキリモドキ科Oedemeridaeに属する昆虫の総称。世界各地に分布し、大部分は熱帯～亜熱帯域に産し、およそ1000種が知られる。日本産は40種以上ある。体長5～25ミリメートルの細長い甲虫で、一見カミキリムシに似ているが、跗節(ふせつ)は5節で後脚(こうきゃく)だけ4節、頭は背面が平たく前方に突き出す。前胸は側縁がなく前方が多少幅広く、上ばねは長く、両側が平行のものが多い。脚(あし)は細いが、モモブトカミキリモドキ属の雄などは腿節(たいせつ)が膨れている。性別は一般に腹部末端の形で判別できる。成虫は春から夏にかけて現れ、樹葉上にみられ、花に集まり蜜(みつ)や花粉を食べるものが多い。また、夜間灯火に集まるものも多い。幼虫は細長い円筒形で柔らかく、普通朽ち木中で育ち、その中で越冬するが、なかには植物の茎の髄を食べるものもある。夜間灯火にくる種類には体液中にカンタリジンに似たエデメリンを含み、人体に止まったときにつぶしたりこすったりすると、皮膚にみみずばれをつくるものが少なくない。このような種類は俗にランプムシとよばれ、南洋諸島のランプカミキリモドキ類は有名、また北海道のキクビカミキリモドキ、小笠原(おがさわら)諸島のオガサワラカミキリモドキの害もひどい。

［中根猛彦］

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