Neoplocaederus caroli (Leprieur, 1876)
[= Plocaederus caroli Leprieur, 1876]

Subfamilia: CERAMBYCINAE  /  Tribus: CERAMBYCINI

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[Photo © David Navrátil, click on the picture for 4K resolution]

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Neoplocaederus caroli, an endemic species to Sahara desert (known from Libya, Ageria, Mauritania, Morocco and Western Sahara), has been described from Hodna Mts. (Algeria) as Plocæderus Caroli by Charles Eugène Leprieur in 1876 [★]. N. caroli larvae feed on Tamarix roots, moving freely in soil where also pupate in calcareous cocoons. Adults, active from early March to May, are crepuscular or nocturnal and can be found on the host plants or attracted to light [❖].

Body length:	27 - 44 mm
Life cycle:	2 - 3 years
Adults in:	March - May
Host plant:	Tamarix roots
Distribution:	Libya, Ageria, Mauritania, Morocco and Western Sahara

Depicted mounted beetles were collected in Merzouga (مرزوقة) village environs (Errachidia province, Drâa-Tafilalet region, Morocco) on May 1-4, 2014. The living specimens were collected in Sahara Wellness Camp environs (N31°6.780′ W03°56.573′; 712 m a.s.l., Merzouga, Errachidia province, Drâa-Tafilalet region, Morocco) on April 5-7, 2024.

Collected by Martin Fiala and Martin Rejzek

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[★]
Leprieur Ch. E.:
Séance du 12 Janvier 1876. Communication de M. C.-E. Leprieur.
Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, Paris: viii-ix. 1876. [download ]

[❖]
Sama G., Ringenbach, J.-C. and Rejzek M.:
A preliminary survey of the Cerambycidae of Lybia (Coleoptera).
Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France 110 (4/5): 439-454, 2005. [download ]

Sama G.:
Note préliminaire pour une faune des longicornes de l'Afrique du Nord. Synonymies, désignations de types (Coleoptera : Cerambycidae).
Biocosme Mésogéen, Nice 16 (1-2) [1999]: 79-100, 2000. [download ]

Sama G.:
Note sulla nomenclatura dei Cerambycidae della Regione mediterranea (Coleoptera).
Bolletino della Società Entomologica Italiana, Genova 123 (2): 121-128, 1991. [download ]

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[Photo © Martin Rejzek]

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Adults of these longhorn beetle were attracted to light trap. Among other vegetation around the camp the desert supported several Tamarix articulata shrubs.

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Subfamilia	Cerambycinae Latreille, 1802
Tribus	Cerambycini Latreille, 1804
Genus	Neoplocaederus Sama, 1991
Species	Neoplocaederus caroli (Leprieur, 1876)