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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Cucujiformia » Longhorn and Leaf Beetles (Chrysomeloidea) » Longhorn Beetles (Cerambycidae) » Prioninae » Prionini » Prionus

Genus Prionus

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Works Cited

Tile-horned Prionus Beetle - Prionus imbricornis - male

Root borer larva, jaws - Prionus laticollis

Prionus californicus ? - Prionus californicus

Big black beetle – Prionus laticollis? - Prionus laticollis

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 Prioninae

Tribe Prionini

Genus Prionus

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

subgenera arrangement proposed in (1) is not followed here; see (2)

Explanation of Names

Prionus Geoffroy 1762

Greek prion 'saw'

Numbers

16 spp. in 4 subgenera in our area (26 spp. in the New World, 25 in Eurasia)(3) as follows:(4)

subg. Prionus Geoffroy; 12‒13 antennomeres, generally distributed

P. californicus Motschulsky (♂ 24‒45 mm, ♀ 38‒55 mm) w.NA

P. heroicus Semenov (♂ 27‒51 mm, ♀ 35‒50 mm) sw.US (AZ‒NM)

P. laticollis (Drury) (♂ 22‒32 mm, ♀ 31‒44 mm) e.NA

P. lecontei Lameere (♂ 30‒45 mm, ♀ 52‒60 mm) w.NA

P. pocularis Dalman in Schoenherr (♂ 25‒38 mm, ♀ 28‒45 mm) e.NA

subg. Homaesthesis LeConte; 12‒14 antennomeres, dull, not striolate, central and western US

P. arenarius Hovore (♂ 17‒33 mm, ♀ 20‒24 mm) sw.US (TX‒NM)

P. emarginatus Say (♂ 17‒22 mm, ♀ 22-25 mm) c.US (WY‒NM)

P. geminus Santos-Silva, Nearns & Swift 2016 (size TBA) ID‒AZ to CO‒TX

P. integer LeConte (♂ 24‒25 mm, ♀ 20‒22 mm) KS‒e.OR‒NM

P. linsleyi Hovore (♂ 16 mm, ♀ 20 mm) sw.US (AZ)

P. palparis Say (♂ 24‒37 mm, ♀ 35‒40 mm) sc. US (NE‒OK to CO‒AZ)

P. simplex (Casey) (♂ 22-25mm, ♀ ?mm) c.US (NE‒KS to WY‒UT‒AZ) =P. rhodocerus Linsley

P. spinipennis Hovore & Turnbow (♂ 20‒32 mm, ♀ 29‒30 mm) sw.US (NM‒TX)

subg. Neopolyarthron Semenov; 15‒20 antennomeres

P. cuneatus Casey (TBA)

P. debilis Casey (♂ 20‒28 mm, ♀ 34‒36 mm) c.US (IL‒IA to LA‒TX)

P. imbricornis (Linnaeus) (♂ 24‒39 mm, ♀ 32‒50 mm) e.US‒TX

subg. Antennalia Casey; 25‒30 antennomeres

P. fissicornis Haldeman (♂ 27‒36 mm, ♀ 32‒40 mm) c.US (MT‒TX)

Identification

Sexual dimorphism obvious. ≥12 antennomeres; distinctly poriferous in males, less in females:

Key to species in (1)

Range

primarily holarctic; in NA, s.Canada to Mexico + 1 sp. in the Dominican Rep.(3)

Works Cited

1.	Revision of the American species of the genus Prionus Geoffroy, 1762 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Prioninae, Prionini) Santos-Silva, A., E. H. Nearns, and I. P. Swift. 2016. Zootaxa 4134(1):1-103.

2.	Reevaluation of the subgeneric classification of the North American species of Prionus Geoffroy (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: ... Schiefer T.L. 2022. Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. 148: 335‒504.

3.	New World Cerambycidae Catalog

4.	Illustrated revision of the Cerambycidae of North America. Vol. I, Subfamilies Parandrinae, Spondylidinae, Aseminae, Prioninae Chemsak A.J. 1996. Wolfsgarden Press, Burbank, ix+150pp., 10 pls.

Contributed by Cotinis on 4 April, 2004 - 12:14am
Additional contributions by Phillip Harpootlian, Mike Quinn, nebbeetle, v belov, Brady Richards
Last updated 7 June, 2024 - 3:50pm

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