Oxypeltidae
Encyclopedia
The Oxypeltidae are a small family belonging to the superfamily Chrysomeloidea, widespread in the Andean region of Chile
and Argentina
. They have traditionally been considered a group within the Cerambycidae.
and red on elytra. Antenna
e and legs have a blue metallic colour.
The head, round and small, has two robustly toothed antennae, the pronotum is furnished with longitudinal crests, and the elytra, covered by strong puncture, are bi-toothed at the apex.
The posterior wings, membranous, have an unusual violet colour, similar to that of the Cetoniinae, while they are transparent in all other groups of Cerambycids.
, attack trees of the genus Nothofagus
, the vicariant of beech in the southern hemisphere. The adults are diurnal and can often be found on leaves.
At first placed in the Prioninae
due to the lateral ridge of the pronotum, the Oxypeltinae have been separated.
Saalas' studyon the posterior wings of Cerambycids put into light the fact that the wings of the Oxypeltinae were unusually pigmented.
More recently, the research work done on the larvae showed a far (and doubtful) relationship with the Vesperidae.
Therefore, the group of Oxypeltinae has been recently considered as a different family
The Oxypeltidae consist of only two genera and three species:
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. They have traditionally been considered a group within the Cerambycidae.
Description
The Oxypeltidae do not have any morphologic resemblance with the other Cerambycids. The body is massive and characterised by a nice metallic colour, bluish. or green on head and prothoraxProthorax
The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the first pair of legs. Its principal sclerites are the pronotum , the prosternum , and the propleuron on each side. The prothorax never bears wings in extant insects, though some fossil groups possessed...
and red on elytra. Antenna
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
e and legs have a blue metallic colour.
The head, round and small, has two robustly toothed antennae, the pronotum is furnished with longitudinal crests, and the elytra, covered by strong puncture, are bi-toothed at the apex.
The posterior wings, membranous, have an unusual violet colour, similar to that of the Cetoniinae, while they are transparent in all other groups of Cerambycids.
Biology
The larvae, typically xylophagousXylophagy
Xylophagy is a term used in ecology to describe the habits of an herbivorous animal whose diet consists primarily of wood. The word derives from Greek ξυλοφάγος "eating wood", from ξύλον "wood" and φαγεῖν "to eat", an ancient Greek name for a kind of a worm-eating bird...
, attack trees of the genus Nothofagus
Nothofagus
Nothofagus, also known as the southern beeches, is a genus of 35 species of trees and shrubs native to the temperate oceanic to tropical Southern Hemisphere in southern South America and Australasia...
, the vicariant of beech in the southern hemisphere. The adults are diurnal and can often be found on leaves.
Systematics
They have always been a mystery for specialists since these insects do not show any strong resemblance with other Cerambycids.At first placed in the Prioninae
Prioninae
Prioninae are a subfamily of Cerambycidae . They are typically large and usually brown or black. The males of a few genera sport large mandibles that are used in fights with other males, similar to stag beetles. These beetles are commonly nocturnal and are attracted to light...
due to the lateral ridge of the pronotum, the Oxypeltinae have been separated.
Saalas' studyon the posterior wings of Cerambycids put into light the fact that the wings of the Oxypeltinae were unusually pigmented.
More recently, the research work done on the larvae showed a far (and doubtful) relationship with the Vesperidae.
Therefore, the group of Oxypeltinae has been recently considered as a different family
The Oxypeltidae consist of only two genera and three species:
- Cheloderus Gray, 1832
- Cheloderus childreni Gray, 1832
- Cheloderus penai Kuschel, 1955
- Oxypeltus Blanchard, 1851
- Oxypeltus quadrispinosus Blanchard, 1851