Blosyropus spinosus | |
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Dorsal view of a Blosyropus spinosus specimen in the Whanganui Regional Museum | |
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Genus: | Blosyropus
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Species: | B. spinosus
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Binomial name | |
Blosyropus spinosus Redtenbacher, 1868
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Blosyropus spinosus, also known as the spiny longhorn or spiny silver-pine borer, is a rare species of longhorn beetle endemic to New Zealand. It has no specific Māori name, but the term for large longhorns of this type are howaka and kapapa.[1]
B. spinosus was first described in 1868 by Ludwig Redtenbacher in his Reise der österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde.[2][3] The genus Blosyropus is often referred to within the subfamily Lepturinae, but is now considered to be in the Cerambycinae[4][5] and the tribe Phlyctaenodini.[6]
B. spinosus is one of the largest endemic beetles in New Zealand,[7] growing to around 46mm long.[8] It is nocturnal,[9] and flightless.[8] The hing wings are shortened or completely reduced in both sexes in this genus.[6] B. spinosus is dark brown in colour with yellowish hairs on its body.[8] Its key distinguishing characteristic is the pair of spines on its head, one above each eye, and the four spines on the pronotum in front of the elytra.[10][8]
B. spinosus has been found in forest in many areas of New Zealand.[9] Its larvae have been discovered in rotting logs of a variety of trees including tawa, Dracophyllum, pōhutukawa, manoao (silver pine), and red beech, as well as in podocarp forest.[8][10][11] It is a Category I (indeterminate status) Threatened Species.[12]
The adult beetle is attracted to lights.[8] Eggs are laid towards the top of the tree and the larva tunnel downwards as they feed on the rotting wood.[13] Pupation occurs in a large pupal chamber at the base of the tree.[13] This pupal chamber opens to the outside but is plugged with coarsely chewed wood that has not been digested by the larva.[13] After completing metamorphosis, the beetle may overwinter or hibernate within the pupal chamber.[13]