Spondylidinae are a small subfamily of

Cerambycidae The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns, are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are characterized by extremely long antennae, which are often as long as or longer than ...

including slightly over 100 species, primarily in the coniferous forests of the

Boreal Boreal may refer to: Climatology and geography *Boreal (age), the first climatic phase of the Blytt-Sernander sequence of northern Europe, during the Holocene epoch *Boreal climate, a climate characterized by long winters and short, cool to mild ...

hemisphere. A few species occur in coniferous forests in tropical and subtropical areas (

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

), while very few genera (e.g., '' Zamium'') are present in Austral

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

(e.g., '' Masatopus''). Some sources spell the name as Spondylinae.

Morphology

Adult

Spondylidinae are

insects Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

characterised by cerambycine aspect, generally with a more or less flattened, dark body, oblique head and scarcely elongated antennae. Their

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most an ...

is scarcely evident; males and females are extremely similar. Unlike

Cerambycinae Cerambycinae is a subfamily of the longhorn beetle family (Cerambycidae). The subfamily has a world-wide distribution including: Asia, Europe and the Americas (with 430 species in 130 genera in the neotropical realm). Within the family, the onl ...

, their stridulitrum is divided.

Larva

The

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. Th ...

e are completely different from those of

and similar to those of

Lepturinae Lepturinae, the lepturine beetles, is a subfamily of the longhorn beetle family (Cerambycidae), containing about 150 genera worldwide. This lineage is most diverse in the Northern Hemisphere. Until recently the subfamily Necydalinae was inclu ...

in several respects, being characterised by a rounded head and large labrum. They also typically possess two closely spaced small spines on the last

abdominal The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the torso ...

segment.

Biology

Adult

Spondylidinae are nearly all

nocturnal Nocturnality is an ethology, animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have ...

crepuscular In zoology, a crepuscular animal is one that is active primarily during the twilight period, being matutinal, vespertine, or both. This is distinguished from diurnal and nocturnal behavior, where an animal is active during the hours of dayli ...

. Only the genus ''

Tetropium ''Tetropium'' is a genus of long-horned beetles in the family Cerambycidae. There are at least 20 described species in ''Tetropium''. Species These 27 species belong to the genus ''Tetropium'': * '' Tetropium abietis'' Fall, 1912 (roundheaded ...

'', characterised by finely faceted eyes, has diurnal activity. The adults live on the host plants, taking refuge under

bark Bark may refer to: * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Places * Bark, Germany * Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland Arts, en ...

s or trunks during inactive periods.

Larva

Except for some

Saphanini Saphanini is a tribe of beetles in the subfamily Spondylidinae Spondylidinae are a small subfamily of Cerambycidae including slightly over 100 species, primarily in the coniferous forests of the Boreal hemisphere. A few species occur in conife ...

(''

Saphanus ''Saphanus'' is a genus of beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Co ...

'', '' Drymochares'') and Anisarthrini, the

e of most of species attack

conifer Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All ex ...

Taxonomy

History

Spondylidinae have a complicated systematic history, and details of the relationships are still uncertain. In 1897 Xambeu united the genera ''

Spondylis ''Spondylis'' is a genus of beetles Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The ...

'', ''

Asemum ''Asemum'' is a genus of longhorn beetles in the family Cerambycidae, described by Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz in 1830. Species * '' Asemum australe'' LeConte, 1850 * '' Asemum caseyi'' Linsley, 1957 * '' Asemum glabrellum'' Bates, 18 ...

'', ''Chriocephalus'' (now ''

Arhopalus ''Arhopalus'' is a genus of beetles in the family Cerambycidae, the longhorn beetles, in the tribe Asemini. Species ''BioLib'' lists: # ''Arhopalus asperatus'' (LeConte, 1859) # ''Arhopalus biarcuatus'' Pu, 1981 # '' Arhopalus brunneus'' (Gard ...

'') and ''Tetropium'' in Spondyliens, on the basis of the larval morphology. Nevertheless, this classification was rejected by contemporaneous authors since ''Spondylis'' was believed to be related to

Prioninae The Prioninae are a subfamily of Cerambycidae (long-horned beetles). They are typically large (25–70 mm) and usually brown or black. The males of a few genera sport large mandibles that are used in fights with other males, similar to st ...

and '' Parandra''. At that time most spondylidine genera were placed within the subfamily Aseminae. A later study of the

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is exp ...

morphology confirmed Xambeu's grouping, but by the end of the 20th Century (and in some contemporaneous faunas) Spondylidini were treated as a separate subfamily. Only after 1987, after further studies on the larval morphology, was it recognized that spondylidines and asemines were indeed part of the same group, rather than separate lineages. Spondylidini - whose larvae are indistinguishable from that of all other traditional Aseminae - appear to be simply highly derived Asemini, with adult morphology convergent with lucaniform Prioninae and the

Vesperidae The Vesperidae are a small family of beetles, normally classified within the family Cerambycidae, of heterogeneous aspect but all characterised by larval stages related to roots of herbaceous plants or trees Morphology Adult The nocturnal adult ...

of the Amazon rainforest genus '' Migdolus''.

Current systematics

Spondylidinae (this name has priority over Aseminae) includes five

tribes The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confl ...

.Zicha O.
BioLib
Retrieved on 24 June 2015. * Anisarthrini Mamaev & Danilevsky, 1973 *

Asemini Asemini is a tribe of beetles in the subfamily Spondylidinae, containing the following genera and species:Bezark, Larry GA Photographic Catalog of the Cerambycidae of the World. Retrieved on 22 May 2012. Genera ''BioLib'' lists: # ''Arhopalus' ...

Thomson, 1860 *

Atimiini Atimiini is a tribe of beetles in the subfamily Spondylidinae, containing the following genera and species:Bezark, Larry GA Photographic Catalog of the Cerambycidae of the World. Retrieved on 22 May 2012. * Genus ''Atimia (genus), Atimia'' ** '' ...

LeConte, 1873 *

Gistel Gistel () is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. Following local government boundary reforms in 1971 and 1977, the municipality has comprised not only Gistel, but also the towns of Moere, Snaaskerke and ...

, 1856 *

Spondylidini Spondylidini is a tribe of beetles in the family Spondylidinae, containing the following genera and species:Bezark, Larry GA Photographic Catalog of the Cerambycidae of the World Retrieved on 22 May 2012. * Genus '' Neospondylis'' ** '' Neospond ...

Audinet-Serville, 1832

References

External links

Check-list of World-wide SpondylidinaeGallery of World-wide SpondylidinaeGallery of American Spondylidinae
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2715555 Cerambycidae