Rhamnusium bicolor (Schrank, 1781)
ssp. lenkoranum Danilevsky, 2012

Subfamilia: LEPTURINAE  /  Tribus: RHAMNUSIINI
Rhamnusium bicolor lenkoranum
[Photo © Lech Kruszelnicki]

Rhamnusium bicolor lenkoranum, a subspecies occuring in East Transcaucasia (South Armenia, North West Azerbajdzhan, North Iran), has been described from Avrora environs (Lenkoran District, Azerbajdzhan) by Mikhail Danilevsky in 2012 [▽]. This taxon was usually traditionally treated within R. bicolor graecum with totally black-blue females, but this subspecies is strongly distant and geographically isolated from R. bicolor graecum, known from Balcan Peninsula only. All populations of R. bicolor graecum are chaterized by a strong level of individual variability in coloration of males and females, while R. bicolor lenkoranum is constant (males have always red elytra, females being always totally black-blue). Biology is analogous to the nominotypic subspecies Rhamnusium bicolor bicolor (Schrank, 1781) [❖].

Body length:♂ 14-24 mm / ♀ 18-24 mm
Life cycle:2 - 3 years
Adults in:May - July
Host plant:polyphagous in deciduous trees (Fagus, Quercus, Juglans, Carpinus, etc.)
Distribution:Azerbajdzhan, Armenia, Iran


The depicted mounted beetles were collected in Iran by Lech Kruszelnicki. The living male was collected in Kīnj (كينج‎) village environs (1550-1600 m a.s.l, Kojur district, Nowshahr county, Māzandarān province, Iran) in May 18, 2019.

Collected by Lech Kruszelnicki and P.Jelínek.


[▽]
Danilevsky M.L.:
A contribution to the revision of the genus Rhamnusium Latreille, 1829 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae).
Studies and Reports Taxonomical Series 8 (1-2): 43-65, 2012. [download pdf icon]

[❖]
Danilevsky M.L.:
Longicorn beetles (Coleoptera, Cerambycoidea) of Russia and adjacent countries. Part 1.
Higher School Consulting, Moscow, 550pp [pages 79-80], 2014. [download pdf icon]


Rhamnusium bicolor lenkoranum
Rhamnusium bicolor lenkoranum
Rhamnusium bicolor lenkoranum
Rhamnusium bicolor lenkoranum
Rhamnusium bicolor lenkoranum
[Photo © P.Jelínek]


 
SubfamiliaLepturinae Latreille, 1802
TribusRhamnusiini Sama, 2009
GenusRhamnusium Latreille, 1829)
SpeciesRhamnusium bicolor (Schrank, 1781)
SubspeciesRhamnusium bicolor lenkoranum Danilevsky, 2012