Purpuricenus caucasicola Danilevsky, 2015

Subfamilia: CERAMBYCINAE  /  Tribus: TRACHYDERINI
Purpuricenus caucasicola

[Photo © Sergei O. Kakunin]

Purpuricenus caucasicola, a rare species known from , has been described from Novorossiysk environs (South Russia) by Mikhail Leontievich Pic Danilevsky in 2015 [▽]. Taxonomic value and current status of this species is unclear. Alexander I. Miroshnikov declared his opinion on the validity of this species in a publication devoted to protected beetles of the Sochi National Park [2018, ❖] relatively harshly:

"P. caucasicola according to the material, predominantly collected by me, in fact, doesn't have no reliable morphological differences from P. neocaucasicus Rapuzzi et Sama, 2013 (whose type series includes specimens from both Anatolia and the Caucasus). On this fact, I have repeatedly drawn the attention of M.L. Danilevsky before its publication, dethoroughly discussing this issue in our personal correspondence. However, M.L.D. remained convinced of the species independence of the Caucasian forms, but in the description he could not provide absolutely any clear evidence testifies to this, indicating only some extremely dubious differences (see [▽]) between P. neocaucasicus and P. caucasicola. I reexamined in detail a variety of material from various regions of Anatolia and the Caucasus, which I had at my disposal, and didn't even find Danilevsky's "differences" between Anatolian and Caucasian specimens. On this basis, P. caucasicola is synonym of P. neocaucasicus."

However, the taxon remains in databases (TITAN, BioLib) or in the Catalog of Palaearctic Coleoptera [✧], and it is clear that the entire cluster of these Caucasian Purpuricenus-species requires a proper revision.

Body length:♂♂ 12 – 15.8 mm / ♀ 10.4 – 17.5 mm
Life cycle:2 - 3 years
Adults in:June - August
Host plant:polyphagous in deciduous trees
Distribution:South Russia and Transcaucasia (Georgia, Azerbaijan)


The depicted mounted male beetle (holotype) was collected on Orel Mt. in Dyurso (Дюрсо) village environs (N44°41′55″ E37°31′50″; 540 m a.s.l., Novorossiysk, Krasnodar krai, Southern Federal District, Russia) in June 30 - July 13, 2009.

Collected by A.I.Miroshnikov


[▽]
Danilevsky M.L.:
A new species of the genus Purpuricenus Dejean, 1821 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from the Caucasus.
Caucasian Entomological Bulletin 11 (2): 385-388, 2015. [download pdf icon]

[❖]
Miroshnikov A.I.:
Review of protected beetles (Insecta, Coleoptera) of the Sochi National Park and neighboring territories of the Russian Transcaucadia with notes on some aspects of their monitoring.
[ Обзор охраняемых видов жесткокрылых насекомых (Insecta, Coleoptera) Сочинского Национального Парка и соседних территорий Российского Закавказья с заметками по некоторым аспектам их мониторинга. ]
The Sochi National Park is 35 years. Proceeding of the Sochi National Park. Issue 12. Sochi, Optima, 491 pp [pages 338-391], 2018. [download pdf icon]

[✧]
Danilevsky M.L.:
Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera. Volume 6/1. Chrysomeloidea I (Vesperidae, Disteniidae, Cerambycidae). Updated and Revised Second Edition.
Mikhail L. Danilevsky Ed., Koninklijke Brill, Leiden 2: i-xxviii + 712pp, 2021.



 
SubfamiliaCerambycinae Latreille, 1802
TribusTrachyderini Dupont, 1836
GenusPurpuricenus Dejean, 1821
SpeciesPurpuricenus caucasicola Danilevsky, 2015