Longhorned Beetle - Anthophylax attenuatus

Anthophylax attenuatus, male

The male of this species has a different shape to the body than the more robust female. Also - the males are more likely to be taken at lights than the females, which are more often collected during the day on foliage or on the dead trunks of standing hardwoods.

I have often wondered if this species is correctly placed in the genus Anthophylax, as it does not resemble any of the other species in the genus. But it doesn't quite fit anything else in N.A.

… Robert Androw, 25 September, 2021 - 10:06am

I work on a female species th

I work on a female species this morning and I though that this one was something different as the form, the size, the design on the elytra are totally different.. Thanks again.

… Richard Migneault, 25 September, 2021 - 10:28am

I agree...

the two sexes can easily be mistaken as being two distinct, albeit similar, species. Males seem to be more rarely collected than the females as well... it's often the other way 'round.

Out of curiosity - how did you collect the two specimens? The same way, or by different methods?

Overall a nice bug!

… Robert Androw, 25 September, 2021 - 10:51am

I collected both at light on

I collected both at light on the same night. I have two other female specimen, one collected in 2011, the other in 2016

… Richard Migneault, 25 September, 2021 - 11:25am

Interesting...

I've seen very few females at light - most have been in Lindgren trap samples. The few females I've collected in the field have been on standing, barkless dead trunks of maple. I've never seen the species on flowers.

Another genus that shows remarkable variation in behavior is Gaurotes. In G. cyanipennis, the adults are common on flowers of all sorts and on dead tree trunks, especially wild cherry. However, G. thoracica is almost always taken at light.

… Robert Androw, 25 September, 2021 - 12:40pm

I hope to collect one sometim

I hope to collect one sometime..

… Richard Migneault, 25 September, 2021 - 12:56pm

Moved

Moved from Long-horned Beetles.

… Robert Androw, 25 September, 2021 - 10:01am

Thanks Robert..

… Richard Migneault, 25 September, 2021 - 10:05am