Texas Beetle Information

Return to Texas Entomology - Compiled by Mike Quinn

Texas Bumelia Borer

Plinthocoelium suaveolens plicatum (LeConte)

Family Cerambycidae, Subfamily Cerambycinae, Tribe Callichromatini

cf. P. s. suaveolens - P. schwarzi

New County Record

Goliad County, TX
June 7, 2006 (Bill Carr)

Five or six of these bodacious longhorned beetles were on a single blooming gum bumelia (Sideroxylon lanuginosum).

Texas Plinthocoelium County Records

County Record Source: E.G. Riley, Nov. 2005
(plus Burnet Co.)

Adult Activity: May to August, most specimens in the Texas A&M University Insect Collection from June and July.

Larval Host: Larvae feed in the root crowns of Bumelia, Sideroxylon spp., Family Sapotaceae.

Biology:

Adults attracted to fermenting baits. Members of this genus in the tropics give off an alarm pheromone when disturbed (e.g. when collected) causing conspecifics in the vicinity to take flight.

Similar Species:

There are nine species of Plinthocoelium, but only the following two species reach the United States.

Plinthocoelium schwarzi (Fisher, 1914) - South Texas
Plinthocoelium suaveolens suaveolens (Linnaeus) - se USA (DE-FL-TX)
Plinthocoelium suaveolens plicatum (LeConte) - Texas, se Arizona, sw New Mexico, Sonora, Mexico.

Comments: Plinthocoelium suaveolens is highly variable (see photo links below), and P. schwarzi may prove to be a subspecies of P. suaveolens.

Weblinks:

Plinthocoelium s. suaveolens (Linnaeus) - Florida State Collection of Arthropods

Photos:

Plinthocoelium suaveolens suaveolens - GA - with red head and thorax - Giff Beaton
Plinthocoelium suaveolens suaveolens - ARK - with red head and thorax - Noor Beckwith
Plinthocoelium suaveolens suaveolens - FL - with green head & thorax - FSCA
Plinthocoelium suaveolens plicatum - AZ - with green head & thorax - Bob Jensen
Plinthocoelium suaveolens plicatum - Loc? - with green head & thorax - Living Jewels
Plinthocoelium suaveolens plicatum - Loc? - with blue head and thorax - Barbara Strnadova

Type Specimens:

Original combination: Callichroma splendidum LeConte, 1850
Current name: Plinthocoelium suaveolens (Linneaus)

Original combination: Callichroma plicatum LeConte, 1853
Current name: Plinthocoelium suaveolens var plicatum

References:

Arnett, R.H., Jr., M.C. Thomas, P.E. Skelley & J.H. Frank. (editors). 2002. American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL. xiv + 861 pp.

Hovore, F.T., R.L. Penrose & R.W. Neck 1987. The Cerambycidae, or longhorned beetles, of southern Texas: a faunal survey. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 44(13): 283-344, 20 figs.

Lingafelter, S.W. & N.V. Horner. 1993. The Cerambycidae of north-central Texas. The Coleopterists Bulletin, 47(2): 159-191.

Linsley, E. G. 1964. The Cerambycidae of North America. Part V. Taxonomy and classification of the subfamily Cerambycinae, tribes Callichromini through Ancylocerini. Univ. Calif. Publs Ent., Berkeley, 22: 1-197, 60 figs., 1 pl.

Linsley, E.G. & P.D. Hurd. Jr. 1959. The larval habits of Plinthocoelium suaveolens plicatum (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Bull. S. Calif. Acad. Sci., S. Diego, 58 (1): 27-33, 11 pls.