ssp. riffensis Rapuzzi, 2025
Subfamilia: LAMIINAE / Tribus: POGONOCHERINI
[Photo © David Navrátil, click on the picture for 4K resolution]
Pogonocherus caroli, a rare species developing in dying/freshly dead pine (Pinus spp.) twigs, has been described from Pessac environs (Gironde, SW France) by Étienne Mulsant in 1862. Its nominative subspecies, originally known only from South-West Europe (France, Spain), was discovered recently in South Sweden and also in Scotland [✧].
P. caroli riffensis, a subspecies recently discovered by our friend Petr Papoušek in Morocco (Chefchaouen environs), has been subsequently described by Pierpaolo Rapuzzi in 2025 [▽]. P. caroli riffensis is easy to distinguish from the nominative subspecies by its pronotum about 1.3× longer than wide instead 1.1× longer than wide. Moreover, the ground color is blackish instead of blackish brown, and the transverse dark band is more evident with the sides very well delimited by the light pubescence.
Biology of P. caroli riffensis is similar to the nominative subspecies. Larvae of all known specimens were found in Pinus cf. pinaster hamiltonii. Larval development in dead/dying thin twigs of standing living pines. The average thickness of attacked branches was 5-7 cm. [▽].
Body length: ♂♂ 7.5-9.5 mm / ♀♀ 7.3-9.7 mm Life cycle: 1 year Adults in: July - August (in laboratory conditions) Host plant: Pinus cf. pinaster hamiltonii Distribution: an endemic species to Morocco
The depicted beetles were reared from larvae found in Pinus cf. pinaster hamiltonii twigs in Chefchaouen (شفشاون / ⴰⵛⵛⴰⵡⵏ) environs (N35°11′01″ W05°12′53″; Chefchaouen province, Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, Morocco) on April 23, 2023.Collected by Petr Papoušek
[❖]
Mulsant É.:
Histoire Naturelle des Coléoptères de France. Longicornes.
Annales de la Société Impériale d'Agriculture, d'Histoire Naturelle et des Arts Utiles de Lyon 1862-1863: 1-480. [download]
[▽]
Pierpaolo Rapuzzi:
Description of Molorchus papouseki sp. nov. and Pogonocherus caroli riffensis ssp. nov. from Morocco (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae).
Revue suisse de Zoologie 132 (1): 11-15, 2025. [download
| Subfamilia | Lamiinae Latreille, 1825 |
| Tribus | Pogonocherini Mulsant, 1839 |
| Genus | Pogonocherus Dejean, 1821 |
| Subgenus | Pogonocherus Dejean, 1821 |
| Species | Pogonocherus caroli Mulsant, 1863 |
| Subspecies | Pogonocherus (Pogonocherus) caroli riffensis Rapuzzi, 2025 |