Sesame spotted longhorn beetle - Sesame spotted longhorn beetle

It is an insect belonging to the family Cerambycidae in the order Coleoptera of the class Insecta. It is found throughout Japan, as well as in Taiwan and China. It is well known as a major pest of fruit trees such as mandarin oranges, roadside trees, and garden trees. Its body length is 25 to 35 mm. It is black and shiny, and the two markings on the back of the pronotum, the small scutellum, the markings scattered on the upper bristles, the front half of each antennal segment, and the underside of the body are covered with fine white hairs. There are sharp projections on both sides of the pronotum, and the antennae are longer than the body, nearly twice as long in males. Adults appear from June to August, and females bite into the bark at the base of the trunk and lay eggs one by one. The larvae grow by feeding initially under the bark, then later on the wood, and sometimes even penetrate into the roots. Dozens of species of trees are known to be infested with this insect.

[Takehiko Nakane]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

昆虫綱甲虫目カミキリムシ科に属する昆虫。日本各地のほか台湾、中国などに分布する。ミカンなどの果樹や街路樹、庭木の大害虫として有名である。体長25～35ミリメートル。黒色で光沢があり、前胸背面の2紋、小楯板(しょうじゅんばん)、上ばねに散在する紋、触角節の各前半、体下面は白い微毛で覆われる。前胸両側にはとがった突起があり、触角は体より長く、雄では2倍に近い。成虫は6～8月に現れ、雌は幹の根元の樹皮にかみ傷をつけ、1粒ずつ産卵する。幼虫は初め樹皮下を、のち材部を食べて育ち、根の中に侵入することもある。加害樹は数十種が知られている。

［中根猛彦］

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