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Species Crossidius discoideus

Beetle - Crossidius discoideus - female Rd&Blk Longhorn - Crossidius discoideus - male Crossidius discoideus Crossidius discoideus  - Crossidius discoideus Crossidius discoideus, female? - Crossidius discoideus - female Checkered beetle? - Crossidius discoideus Beetle - Crossidius discoideus Beetle 13mm - Crossidius discoideus
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga
No Taxon (Series Cucujiformia)
Superfamily Chrysomeloidea (Longhorn and Leaf Beetles)
Family Cerambycidae (Longhorn Beetles)
Subfamily Cerambycinae
Tribe Trachyderini
Subtribe Trachyderina
Genus Crossidius
Species discoideus (Crossidius discoideus)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Callidium discoidum Say 1824
Numbers
3 subspecies, all in our area(1)(2). Names (with synonyms indented) and links to original descriptions are as follows:
    discoideus (Say) 1824 [Orig. Description]
          pulchrior Bland, 1862 [Orig. Description]
    blandi Casey, 1893   [Orig. Description]
    sayi Casey, 1912 [Orig. Description ]
          sayi bilenticulatus Casey, 1912 [Orig. Description]
          submetallicus Casey, 1912 [Orig. Description]
Identification
Taken together, the remarks Casey included with his 1912 description of C. sayi and 1893 description of C. blandi, indicate the following:
1) Subspecies sayi always has some black maculation on the pronotum...varying from two distinct small and somewhat oblique spots, to larger spots which can become confluent, forming an inverted-"v" shape. The other two subspecies have pronotum entirely red, with no black on the pronotum. 2) Subspecies blandi differs from discoideus in its: smaller size; more narrow form; more sparse punctation (especially the pronotum); and more rounded apex (the apex of discoideus is described as "feebly truncate").
Range
w. N. Amer.(2)
Remarks
Associated with composites in the genera Gutierrezia & Haplopappus; larvae bore in the root crown while adults are found on the flowers and foliage. --T.C. MacRae
Internet References
Curated images of 1) ssp. discoideus; 2) ssp. blandi; and 3) ssp. sayi...from "The Photographic Catalog of the Cerambycidae of the New World"(2).