''Acanthinodera'' is a genus of longhorned beetles in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Cerambycidae The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns (whose larvae are often referred to as roundheaded borers), are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are characterized by anten ...

. It is

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

, being represented by the single

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

''Acanthinodera cumingii''.Bezark, Larry G
A Photographic Catalog of the Cerambycidae of the World
. Retrieved on 22 May 2012. It is 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.

Description

The species has a particularly marked

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where sexes of the same species exhibit different Morphology (biology), morphological characteristics, including characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most dioecy, di ...

, which originally led naturalists to classify the male and female as distinct species. The male measures 5–6 cm, is light brown and furry. The female is black and measures between 8–9 cm on average, although specimens exceeding 12 cm in length have also been found. The male is nocturnal and can fly, but the female is diurnal and does not fly. The insects produce a hissing sound when disturbed that they generate by rubbing their rear legs along the edge of the wing covers. Although they are slow-moving and non-aggressive, they can deliver a powerful bite if provoked. Their legs are powerful and tipped with large claws, they are very difficult to remove from surfaces on which they can gain good purchase; this includes tree bark, clothes and skin.

Distribution

The species is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to Chile, and can be found from the south of the Region of Coquimbo to the

Malleco Province Malleco Province () is one of two provinces in the southern Chilean region of La Araucanía (IX). Its population as of the 2017 census is 205,124, and it covers an area of . The provincial capital is the city of Angol. Malleco Province is known ...

in the Region of Araucanía. It can be found from sea level to the Precordillera hills.

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. 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 ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of ''Eucalyptus'' are trees, often Mallee (habit), mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalyp ...

which is an invasive tree in Chile.

Threats

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.

Conservation

In its native habitat in Chile the insect is vulnerable to

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

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.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from1=Q15868870, from2=Q1706648 Prioninae Invertebrates of Chile Monotypic Cerambycidae genera Endemic fauna of Chile Taxa described in 1835