Vesperus macropterus, a rare endemic species to South Sardinia, has been described as Vesperus conicicollis macropterus by Gianfranco Sama in 1999 [▽].
This taxon differs from the other species of the Vesperus genus by the presence of apparently functional wings in the females, which is also expressed in
its species name "macropterus". Females have much longer elytra that do not only cover the last two tergites and thus protect the perfectly functional wings.
The biology of the species is unknown, but with the high probability is similar to other species of the genus, id est larvae develop on the roots of deciduous trees and shrubs.
The adult appears in July-August and are active at dusk / early night hours. Both sexes, which is unique among Vesperus, fly on warm nights and can be attracted easily
by the ultraviolet light. Biology of this interesting beetle is well decribed in paper by Daniele Sechi published in 2011 [✮].
| Body length: | 15 - 18 mm |
| Life cycle: | 3 and more years |
| Adults in: | October - March |
| Host plant: | polyphagous on the roots of decidous trees and shrubs |
| Distribution: | an endemic species to South Sardinia (Italy) |
The depicted male beetle was collected in Calasetta environs (Island of Sant'Antioco, South Sardinia province, Sardinia, Italy) on August 2, 1999.
Collected by A. del Fabbro
[❖]
Sama G.:
Aggiunte e correzioni alla fauna dei Cerambycidae d'Italia (Insecta Coleoptera Cerambycidae).
Quaderni di Studi e Notizie di Storia Naturale della Romagna 11 (supplemento): 41-56, 1999.
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[▽]
Vives i Noguera E.:
Révision du genre Vesperus Dejean 1821 (Coleoptera : Cerambycidae).
Annales de la Société Entomologique de France, Paris 40 (3-4): 437-457, 2005.
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[✮]
Sechi D.:
Osservazioni sulla biologia di Vesperus macropterus (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae).
Fragmenta entomologica, Roma 43 (3-4): (1): 75-87, 2011.
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