Subfamilia: LAMIINAE / Tribus: SAPERDINI
[Photo © David Navrátil & 8K postprocessing M.Hoskovec]
Phytoecia armeniaca, described by Johann Frivaldszky from Diyarbakır environs (SE Turkey) in 1878 [❖], belongs among the most striking Phytoeciini-tribe species thanks to its unusual color and pattern of elytral spots. This taxon, broadly distributed from Iran to Lebanon, has been considered a rarity for decades, but recently is collected much more often thanks to knowledge of its biology. Phytoecia armeniaca was reported by Gianfanco Sama et al. [✧] to be associated with Scorzonera alpigena Grossh. (Asteraceae).
Body length: 8 - 12 mm Life cycle: 1 year Adults in: May - June Host plant: Scorzonera alpigena Distribution: Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey
The depicted mounted specimens of this interesting and rare beetle were captured on Scorzonera cf. alpigena in Kasristskali (კასრისწყალი) village environs (615 m a.s.l., Vashlovani National Park, Kakheti region, Eastern Georgia) on May 19-20, 2015. The living one was photographed in Buğlan Geçidi (Buglan Pass) (1600 m; 40 km NNW Muş, Eastern Turkey) on June 10, 2011.Collected by David Navrátil, P.Jelínek and M.Hoskovec
[❖]
Frivaldszky J.:
Coleoptera Nova.
Természetrajzi Füzetek 2 (1): 9-12, 1878. [download]
[✧]
Sama G., Buse J., Orbach E., Friedman A.-L.-L., Rittner O., Chikatunov V.:
A new catalogue of the Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) of Israel with notes on their distribution and host plants.
Munis Entomology & Zoology 5 (1): 1-51, 2010. [downloadÖzdikmen H. and Turgut S.:
An overview on the W-palaearctic subgenus Phytoecia (Helladia) Fairmaire, 1864 with a new subspecies Phytoecia (Helladia) humeralis caneri ssp. n. from Turkey (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae).
Munis Entomology & Zoology 5 (2): 317-343, 2010. [download
[Photo © M.Hoskovec]
[Photo © M.Hoskovec]
[Photo © P.Jelínek]
[Photo © David Navrátil]
Phytoecia armeniaca armeniaca swept from the host plant (Scorzonera) in Kasristskali.
| Subfamilia | Lamiinae Latreille, 1825 |
| Tribus | Saperdini Mulsant, 1839 |
| Genus | Phytoecia Dejean, 1835 |
| Subgenus: | Helladia Fairmaire, 1864 |
| Species | Phytoecia (Helladia) armeniaca Frivaldszky, 1878 |