Subfamilia: LAMIINAE / Tribus: CROSSOTINI
[Photo © David Navrátil, click on the picture for 4K resolution]
Crossotus katbeh, species distributed in Israel, Jordan and North Yemen, has been described from Arava Valley (Israel) by Gianfranco Sama in 2000 [❖]. This interesting species develop in Vachellia (e.g. V. tortilis, V. raddiana, V. gerrardi negevensis) Oviposition generally takes place on perfectly healthy branches of small diameter (10 - 20 mm), on which the larvae make a series of successive annular incisions, which interrupt the lymphatic circulation and cause the infested branches to dry out. The larval galleries later continue to branches of greater diameter and, not infrequently, reach the trunk of the host tree. The entire biological cycle generally lasts two years, but can extend up to three or more years. Pupation takes place in the nutritional gallery, in a pupal cell protected at the ends by caps of coarse sawdust. The adults are active almost whole year, with peak of abundance from May to August. The adults, which are crepuscular and nocturnal, can be found hidden in a tangle of branches or under detached pieces of bark during day; rarely are attracted to light sources [❖].
Body length: 14 - 21 mm Life cycle: 2 - 3 years Adults in: almost whole year Host plant: Vachellia spp. (= former Acacia) Distribution: Israel, Jordan, North Yemen
Depicted beetles were reared from larvae found in Vachellia branch collected in Tzofar (צוֹפָר) environs N30°32.755′ E35°11.053′; -1 m a.s.l., Central Arava council, Southern district, Israel) on May 8, 2018.Collected by Walter Grosser
[❖]
Sama G:
Descrizione di un nuovo Crossotus Serville, 1835 del Medio Oriente (Insecta Coleoptera Cerambycidae).
Quaderni di Studi e Notizie di Storia Naturale della Romagna 13 (supplemento): 107-112, 2000. [download]
Sudre J., Teocchi P., Sama G. & Rousset F.:
Les genres Crossotus, Biobessoides et Epidichostates (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae, Crossotini). Notes préliminaires pour une révision du genre Crossotus, avec remarques synonymiques et bionomiques sur les genre Corus, Biobessoides et Epidichostates.
Magellanes: Collection systématique 15: 1-80, 2007. [download
| Subfamilia | Lamiinae Latreille, 1825 |
| Tribus | Crossotini Thomson, 1864 |
| Genus | Crossotus Audinet-Serville, 1835 |
| Species | Crossotus katbeh Sama, 2000 |