Subfamilia: CERAMBYCINAE / Tribus: HESPEROPHANINI
[Photo © David Navrátil, click on the picture for 4K resolution]
Trichoferus griseus belongs with sister taxon Trichoferus holosericeus (Rossi, 1790) among the most widespread and common Western Palearctic representatives of the Trichoferus genus, occurring throughout the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Asia Minor. The larva develops in dead weaker trees, trunks and branches with a diameter of 2-18 cm, both under the bark and in the wood. Rarely, larvae also develop in barkless wood. Overwinters in the larval stage, life-cycle is biennial to perennial, depending on wood moisture. Adults hatch in southern Europe in late June or July. T. griseus is a nocturnal species living very secretly, but often is attracted by light. Beetles hide under the bark, in wood crevices, etc. during the day. This species is often confused with other species of the Trichoferus genus.
Trichoferus griseus has been described from Algeria as Callidium griseum by Johann Christian Fabricius in 1793 [❖].
Body length: 9 - 20 mm Life cycle: at least 1 year Adults in: June - August Host plant: polyphagous in deciduous trees but strongly prefers common fig (Ficus carica) Distribution: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Crete, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine, Armenia, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Turkey
Mounted specimens were collected in Svinca environs (Šibenik-Knin County, Dalmatia, Croatia) on June 29, 2012. The depicted living beetles were: (MH) - reared from larvae found in dead branches of Ficus carica in Neo Itilo (Νέο Οίτυλο) environs (Mani Peninsula, Gytheio Province, Laconia region, Peloponnese, Greece) in July 2003; (NR) - collected in Croatia in July 2019.Collected by David Navrátil, Nikola Rahmé and Michal Hoskovec
[❖]
Fabricius J.Ch.:
Entomologia systematica emendata et aucta. Secundum classes ordines, genera, species adjectis synonymis, locis, observationibus, descriptionibus.
Hafniae, C. G. Proft 1 (2): xx + 538pp [page 325], 1793. [download]
[Photo © Nikola Rahmé]
[Photo © Michal Hoskovec]
| Subfamilia | Cerambycinae Latreille, 1802 |
| Tribus | Hesperophanini Mulsant, 1839 |
| Genus | Trichoferus Wollaston, 1854 |
| Species | Trichoferus griseus (Fabricius, 1793) |