Stenopterus similatus Holzschuh, 1979
ssp. mehli Sama, 1995

Subfamilia: CERAMBYCINAE  /  Tribus: STENOPTERINI
Stenopterus similatus mehli
[Photo © David Navrátil & 8K postprocessing Michal Hoskovec]

Stenopterus similatus, a species endemic to Crete and Ikaria island (Greece), has been described from Chrisostomos environs (Ikaria) by Carolus Holzschuh in 1979 [✮]. Its subspecies endemic to Cyprus, S. similatus mehli, was described by Gianfranco Sama from Akamas peninsula and Troodos Mts. in 1995 [❖]. Larvae of this small beetle are developing in dead wood of deciduous trees and shrubs (e.g. Quercus alnifolia, Pistacia terebinthus, Ceratonia siliqua), adults are typical flower visitors similar to other taxa of the Stenopterus genus.

Body length:7 - 11 mm
Life cycle:1 - 2 years
Adults in:May - June
Host plant:polyphagous in deciduous trees (Quercus alnifolia, Pistacia terebinthus, Ceratonia siliqua, etc.)
Distribution:an endemic subspecies to Cyprus


The depicted mounted beetles were collected on flowers in Troodos Mts. (Cyprus) on June 7 - 10, 2016. The living beetles were reared from larvae found in dead Ceratonia siliqua branches 2 km NE of Agios Georgios Pegeias (Άγιος Γεώργιος Πέγειας) village in Prodromi (Προδρόμι) environs (39 m a.s.l., Paphos district, Cyprus) on April 15, 2022 (beetles emerged on June 10-13, 2022).

Collected by Martin Fiala and David Navrátil


[✮]
Holzschuh C.:
Vier neue Bockkäfer aus der Palaearktischen Region (Col., Cerambycidae)
Koleopterologische Rundschau, Wien 54: 113-118, 1979. [download pdf icon]

[❖]
Sama G.:
Studi sugli Stenopterini. Il genere Stenopterus Illiger, 1804 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae).
Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, Paris 100 (4): 385-410, 1995. [download pdf icon]

Ambrus R., Grosser W. and Hrbek J.:
Contribution to the knowledge of longhorn beetles from Cyprus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae).
Humanity space International Almanac 3 (2): 173-190, 2014. [download pdf icon]


Stenopterus similatus mehli
Stenopterus similatus mehli
Stenopterus similatus mehli
Stenopterus similatus mehli
[Photo © David Navrátil]


 
SubfamiliaCerambycinae Latreille, 1802
TribusStenopterini Fairmaire, 1868
GenusStenopterus Illiger, 1804
SpeciesStenopterus similatus Holzschuh, 1979
SubspeciesStenopterus similatus mehli Sama, 1995